True Love Never Fades
by Arwennicole
Summary: Since 1866, Edward tortured himself over the death of his love. The year is 2005 and somehow, she is back in his life. What will it take for history to not repeat itself? AU
1. Chapter 1

True love Never Fades

By

Nicole

****

Disclaimer: I dont own the _Twilight Saga_, the brilliant Stephenie Meyer does.

Summary: Since 1866, Edward tortured himself over the death of his love. The year is 2005 and somehow, she is back in his life. What will it take for history to not repeat itself?

True Love Never Fades

Chapter 1: Too Little, Too Late

_October 15th, 1866_

Edward was sitting in the trees watching the most beautiful woman he had ever known sit on the porch talking with guests at a party she was attending. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress with dark blue flowers sewn into the bodice. Her long, curly brown hair was pulled back a little with the rest of her hair flowing around her shoulders.

He would smile when she would smile her true, serene smile with her friends. It made him feel more at peace knowing that she was happy once more. It also pained him, because he knew that her pain was because of him. The fact he had 'disappeared' six years prior to this evening.

It was only a small news clipping in the newspaper 'Doctor and Son Missing'. The search lasted only a few weeks, but Edward's lovely Bella didn't stop searching for a year. Her family believed they had convinced her that Edward was dead, but he knew that she felt it wasn't true. Edward would sit outside her window and would watch as she would look over the photograph she had of him that was taken at their engagement party.

As much as it pained Edward, he could not go to the love of his life. He watched as she mourned over his 'death'. He was there when she met her husband and married him, but he knew from the look in her eyes that the intensity of her love for her husband wasn't as strong as it was for him. Edward looked in on her after she gave birth to her son four years ago. It pained him to see her living on with her life, but even if he was dead, it would have happened as he wanted. He wanted his beloved Bella to love someone, to have a family, to be happy.

Over the course of these six years were torturous for Edward. His father had insisted that they move to a new home to keep their identities hidden, but he refused to leave his Bella.

Isabella Swan-Hunt was standing outside talking to her friend, Ruth. "Mama!" a voice called. She looked over and a smile appeared on her face.

"Hello," she greeted as she lifted her four-year-old son up from the ground.

She kissed his forehead gently. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" she asked. He shook his head slowly, making her laugh softly. "I will be back, I have to put him to bed," she informed.

"Take your time," Ruth assured her.

Bella smiled as she took her son upstairs to bed.

Afterwards, the young woman walked downstairs and bumped into her brother. "I'm sorry Charles," she murmured.

"It is quite alright," Charles answered.

He kissed his sister's forehead. "What a lovely party," he told her.

"Thank you," she answered.

Bella let out a deep breath as she left the house when she saw her husband talking with his friends. "Richard," she called walking over to him.

"Yes my dear?" he answered smiling.

"I have to travel to town tomorrow, could you take me?" she asked.

"What for?" he asked curiously.

"I need to buy a new jacket for Thomas, he ripped another one," she replied.

Richard chuckled lightly before kissing his wife's cheek. "Of course, of course," he replied. Bella smiled a little before walking back to their guests.

The next day, Bella had bought the jacket that Thomas needed and was supposed to meet with her husband by the dress shop. She tapped her foot lightly on the ground as she waited for her husband and her child.

Edward had gone on a hunt, he hadn't hunted in days and he needed to control his thirst again before he went to watch over Bella again.

Bella sighed irritably as she looked at the clock that hung in the dress shop. "Where could he be?" she queried. Richard was never late. She bit her lower lip as she put her box on the windowsill of the dress shop and ventured out to find her husband.

The one part she did not like was the fact New York was extremely dark at night, except for the street lamps that were on and the very few stores that were open. "Richard?" she called. She continued down the dark streets when she saw what looked like a person lying in an alley. Hurrying through the narrow walls, she immediately recognized the person. "Richard!" she gasped. She turned her husband over and covered her mouth with a scream. His eyes were open but lifeless and his skin was pale and cold.

Standing up, she went to run when she saw someone standing there. She let out a gasp and felt her heart start to speed up as fast as it could in her chest. "Don't worry…" the person commented. His bright red eyes bore into her brown eyes. He grabbed her around her throat and shoved her backwards into the wall a little harder, making her cry out in pain. "This'll hurt just a little," he sneered.

"SOMEONE HELP ME!" she screamed before he cut off her air supply.

Edward was walking down the streets when he spotted the box still sitting on the windowsill of the dress show. He lifted it up and Bella's scent reached his nose. "SOMEONE HELP ME!" he suddenly heard her scream.

"No!" he exclaimed.

He dropped the box and ran vampire speed towards where the scream came from.

Finding the alley, Edward stopped dead in his tracks at what he saw. Two lifeless bodies, but the second lifeless body is what broke him. "No, no, no!" he hissed running over to her. He dropped to his knees as he looked at Bella's lifeless body. "Bella…no…no," he insisted as he lifted her up in his arms. His hand shook as he rested it against her cheek, her skin was still a little warm. "Bella no, please don't be dead please," he whispered.

He placed her back down on the ground and closed his eyes as he tried to listen or her heartbeat. No heartbeat reached his ears. "No, no," he murmured brokenly as he picked her back up in his arms. He sat back against the wall as his body started to shake. "Please come back, Bella please," he begged hugging her tight, but not enough where it would break her body. He gripped her hair, burying his face into the dark brown tresses, trying to savor what scent she had left. "Please don't leave me," he begged. Dry sobs took over his body as he rocked back and forth with Bella in his arms. "ISABELLA!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Edward looked up when he heard people coming his way. "I heard the scream from here," a person informed. The vampire placed the lifeless girl back on the ground.

"Forgive me Isabella, my love, I'm sorry I didn't save you," he whispered.

He closed her eyes and kissed her cold, dead lips. "I love you," he whispered. He looked at her neck to find her engagement ring that he had given her hanging around her neck.

"This way!" a voice called.

Edward ripped the chain from her neck and jumped up onto the roof, running as fast as he could back home.

During the funeral, it was raining and around the two graves stood the mourners all covered by black umbrellas. Edward was standing under the trees not too far away watching and listening to the service. If he hadn't felt empty before, he surely felt empty at that very moment. He looked into his hand at the ring that was staring back at him. He would fix the clasp and wear it with him always. "Son?" Carlisle called gently to his son. He stood behind Edward, his hand resting on his arm.

"I failed her," he said quietly.

He watched as the crowd dispersed, leaving to go back to the Hunt home. Swallowing hard, Edward waited until they were inside again before he took the bouquet of freesias he had in his hand and walked over to Bella's grave. Kneeling down in front of the freshly buried grave, he placed the freesias in front of the headstone. "I am sorry love," he whispered. He ran his fingers over the engraving. "I am sorry I failed you," he whispered. Carlisle walked over and helped his son up from the ground, trying his best to comfort him the only way a father would know how to comfort his grief-stricken son.

After what felt like an eternity, Edward left the graves leaving New York with his father, never to return.


	2. Confusion

Chapter 2: Confusion

_March 8th, 2005_

Bella woke up with a gasp, sitting straight up in bed. Letting out a deep breath, she leaned against the headboard of her bed. "Bella, you okay baby?" Renee called to her daughter on the other side of the door.

"Yeah, I'm okay mom," she replied.

"I was just making sure because you were screaming sweetheart," Renee pointed out.

Closing her eyes, she pushed a strand of hair from her eyes. "I'm okay mom, really," she replied.

"Okay, breakfast is ready," Renee informed before she went downstairs.

Getting out of bed, Bella grabbed her clothes before heading into her bathroom to get showered and changed.

Walking downstairs, she saw her mother and new stepfather talking and laughing at the table. "Morning," she greeted.

"Morning sweetheart," Renee answered smiling.

Bella grabbed some toast off the counter and sat at the table to eat. "Was it another nightmare Bella?" Renee asked.

"Nothing I can't handle," the teenager reassured her mother.

"You know Phil maybe I shouldn't go," Renee told her husband.

"No, mom, you're not canceling you trip with Phil," Bella objected.

Renee looked at her daughter. "Bella this is the third time this week you have screamed in your sleep," she answered.

"Mom, really, it's nothing I can't handle. I'll be fine, besides dad will be there it's not like I'll be alone in Forks," Bella pointed out.

"Well your father's job has him all over the place remember that," Renee told her.

Bella pulled the crust of her toast off, staring at the butter in the middle of the table. Her dream was stuck in her head, replaying over and over again like a movie.

**__**

Bella was running down a street with her heart pounding so hard she was sure the people around her could hear it. "Where are you?" she asked quietly. She ran around a corner, stopping dead in her tracks at what she found. Sitting on the ground was blood and a jacket. Reaching down, she picked up the jacket. She turned around with tears in her eyes and rain had begun to fall.

That was the point where she woke up. After finishing her toast, she went upstairs to grab the rest of her things.

When Bella finally arrived in Seattle, she found her father standing in the airport waiting for her. "Hey, Bella," he greeted, clearing his throat.

"Hi dad," she answered.

They stood in an awkward silence for awhile. "I guess we should go find the rest of your things," he commented.

"Yeah," she answered following him.

After grabbing her luggage, they left the airport and over to Charlie's squad car.

Edward was sitting in a tree that looked over his meadow. He let the sun hit his face, closing his eyes. This was his place to be alone, his time to just be Edward Anthony Cullen, the son of Dr. Carlisle Cullen, not the vampire trying to disguise himself from the world. Sitting in his hand was Isabella's engagement ring.

Closing his eyes, he leaned back against the tree, holding the ring close to his dead heart. Even when he was watching Isabella from afar, she still made it feel like his heart was still beating. The memories of the first week after Isabella's murder entered Edward's mind like a movie projector playing a movie inside his head.

**__**

Edward walked down the stairs. "There's nothing you can say or do father, I'm going to the Volturi," he insisted.

"Jasper grab him!" Carlisle called.

Before Edward could reach the door, his brother latched onto him, dragging him backwards into the house. "Let go! You can't force me to stay here!" he exclaimed as he tried to fight Jasper off him.

"Edward no, you're not going to the Volturi," Carlisle insisted as he stood in front of the door.

Edward collapsed to his knees on the floor. "I can't live without her!" he exclaimed brokenly. Carlisle could see the heartbroken expression in his son's face and eyes.

"I will not lose my son," Carlisle answered.

Edward tried to push Jasper off him again, but his older brother was relentless. "Isabella wouldn't want you to kill yourself because of her, she wouldn't have it," Jasper insisted.

"What kind of life is this! Living immortal as monsters! I want to be with Isabella," Edward answered.

Carlisle rested his hands on his son's shoulders. "We will find the vampire who did this son, I promise," he reassured him. Edward lowered his head as dry sobs took over him.

"Why did it have to be her?" he asked.

Edward opened his eyes and stared at the ring in his hand. Gently tracing his finger over the delicate jewel. She still haunted him, her face, her eyes, her smile, her laugh, everything about her just haunted his mind. She was the one woman he ever pictured having a life with, a future.

When the sun began to set, Edward jumped down from his spot in the trees and went back to the house. Walking inside, he took off his jacket, hanging it up. "Edward's home!" a voice called. Alice skipped into the hall with a smile. "Did you have a nice walk?" she asked beaming. Reading his sister-in-law's mind, he shook his head slowly.

"I'm not going shopping again, Alice," he told her.

Alice latched onto his arm. "Please! It'll be so much fun!" she insisted jumping up and down a little.

"For who?" he asked.

"Oh come on Edward please?" Alice begged.

"N---" he started.

"Too late you have to come because Jasper's coming too," she answered.

"And I have to come because Jasper's going?" Edward asked as he tried to walk by her.

Alice was right in front of him again. "Yes, you must, because you two are still wearing clothes that are like five-years-old," she said wrinkling her nose.

"I can see how you can talk Jasper into going, reasons that I am not going to go into because that is just some mental pictures that I don't want to enter my head," Edward answered.

Walking by her, he escaped into the kitchen when he bumped into Esme, accidentally knocking her backwards on the three steps leading into the kitchen. "Mom, I'm so sorry," he apologized as he helped her up from the floor.

"Trying to escape Alice again?" she chuckled lightly.

"Yes, very much so," he replied.

Esme chuckled lightly as she brushed off the invisible dirt on her clothes. "Don't worry about it, I went to the mall earlier and bought you new shirts, because these are starting to wear out son," she told him, tugging on the sleeve of his shirt.

"Thanks," he answered.

Esme kissed her stepson's cheek with a smile. "Have you seen Annabelle anywhere?" she asked.

"Try father's study again," he replied.

"Thank you," Esme told him smiling.

Edward nodded before he went all the way around the house before going upstairs to evade Alice. Walking by the study, he gently knocked on the door. "Annie," he called opening the door. Inside the study sat a girl who looked to be seventeen that had shoulder-length bleached blonde hair, brown eyes, wearing white tie up shoes, a pale blue skirt, and a white blouse. She had in a white headband, keeping her bangs from her face. Her skin wasn't as pale as the rest of the Cullen family. The young girl looked up.

"Yeah," she answered.

"Your mom's looking for you," he told her.

She closed the book she was reading and quickly put it back on the shelf. "Thank you," she told him kissing his cheek before going to find her mother. Edward smiled a little before moving into his room.

After he roamed around America with his father and brother, Carlisle had fallen in love with Esme, when she was human. He had stopped her from jumping off a cliff, wanting to commit suicide over the death of her child. Over the length of time, Esme fell in love with Carlisle. The day Esme was turned into a vampire was the day Annabelle was born.

Sighing, Edward went into his room, closing the door behind him. Throwing out all his old shirts, he put away the new ones that Esme had bought for him. Afterwards, he turned on his CD player and fell back on the couch, closing his eyes. He once again let himself get consumed by his memories of Bella.

The next day at school, the day was going on as usual. The same old classes, the same old teachers, and the same old assignments that wouldn't take him long at all to do when he got home.

Lunch period came around and he carried his tray of what would be another portion of uneaten food when he suddenly heard Jessica Stanly talking about him. "That's Edward Cullen. Totally gorgeous, obviously, but apparently nobody here's good enough for him," she commented. Her thoughts entered his mind, making him smile a little. "Like I care," she added. He chuckled lightly before sitting down at his chair.

Glancing over at his siblings, he looked back over at the table when he suddenly had to blink a few times when he saw the girl staring at him. "Impossible," he muttered lightly.

"What is it?" Jasper asked quietly.

Edward glanced at his brother before looking at the girl. "Isabella…alive?" he asked, believing he had gone crazy.


	3. Can't be Real

Chapter 3: Cant be Real

Edward left the school early, just seeing the girl tore a hole right through him. He leaned against the door of his car, dragging his fingers through his hair. "Oh God," he said quietly. He had to be losing his mind, there was no possible way that Bella was alive. Even if she hadn't died that night, she would've died of old age. There was no possible way she was alive.

"Edward, what is it? What's wrong?" Esme asked as she walked into the hallway.

"I'm losing my mind mother," he replied.

"What's wrong?" she asked concerned.

Edward stared at her. "It's been over a hundred years and I saw Bella, alive. I saw her as clearly as I'm looking at you," he told her. Esme rested her hand on his cheek. "What's happening to me? I'm losing my mind," he insisted.

"I'm sure it was just a wrong take son," she answered quietly.

"No, I thought it was too, but she sat next to me in the biology room," he answered.

Esme hushed him quietly as he started panicking some more. "I saw her," he said quietly. She hugged him gently, rubbing his back.

Later that evening, Emmett and Jasper took Edward out to hunt, to distract him from what happened that day after they explained to Carlisle. Esme walked into the kitchen to find her husband deep in thought. "Penny for your thoughts?" she asked. Carlisle looked over at his wife with a sigh, holding her hand.

"It's just difficult Esme…seeing him going through the same torturous pain he did so many years before," he said quietly.

Esme bit her lower lip as she gave her husband's hand a gentle squeeze. "What do we do?" he asked quietly.

"We be there for him as parents are supposed to," she replied, stroking his hair lightly.

He sighed as he kissed the back of her hand.

After the hunt, Edward was sitting back against a tree looking out at the open field he and his brothers were just hunting in. "Hey, Edward, so this Isabella girl, she's the reason why you never moved on with your life? Why you sit outside and stare at that ring around your neck?" Emmett asked as he sat back against the tree next to him. Edward was silent for a minute.

"Emmett cool it," Jasper told him.

Edward closed his eyes for a second. "Yes, she was and still is," he answered. He closed his eyes and rubbed his hands together.

"Just can't get the other girl out of your head?" Jasper asked.

"You saw her Jasper, she looks just like Isabella," Edward answered.

The three of them remained quiet and Edward closed his eyes as his mind started drifting. Going back to how easy things were a hundred and thirty-nine years ago.

__

**Edward was standing in the gardens, pacing back and forth a little as he was thinking over what he was going to say when the back door opened. Looking up, a smile appeared on his face when Isabella walked out of the house. "This is a surprise," she commented. Chuckling lightly, he took her hand and brought her closer.**

**"I had to speak with you," he said quietly, reaching up to stroke her face.**

**Isabella smiled, resting her hand over his. "What is it?" she asked as they sat down on the stone bench that was behind them. He sighed, holding onto her hand.**

**"I love you, you know this yes?" he asked.**

**"Of course," she replied smiling.**

**Edward smiled a little as he traced small designs into her hand. "I have loved you since we were kids and I have been wanting to find a way to do for awhile," he murmured.**

**"What are you talking about?" she asked curiously.**

**He got off the stone bench and held onto Isabella's hand. "Isabella Swan, I love you more than life itself and I will prove it to you every single day while we're together. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he asked. Isabella stared at in him disbelief, before a smile appeared on her face.**

**"Yes, of course I will," she replied beaming.**

**She hugged him tight with a huge smile on her face. Edward hugged her back with a smile.**

Edward came out of his daydream when Emmett shoved him lightly. "Hey, Eddie, snap out of it, we should head back before Esme starts to wonder where we took off to," Emmett commented standing up. Edward rolled his eyes before getting up from the ground and walked back to the house with his brothers.

The next day at school, Edward sat at the biology table when her scent reached his nose before she entered the room. Looking up, she walked into the classroom hanging up her jacket with the rest of the kids. She walked over and sat next to him hesitantly, glancing over at him a few times. "Hello," he said slowly.

"Um…hi," she answered.

"I never got a chance to introduce myself yesterday…I'm Edward Cullen," he informed.

"Bella Swan," she replied.

Another dagger to his already dead heart, she shared the same name as her. "We're going to learn about mitosis today, so could you please identify the slides in front of you which stage they are," Mr. Molina informed the class. Edward cleared his throat, pushing the microscope over to her.

"Ladies first," he told her.

"Thanks," she answered.

He tapped his fingers on the table. Not only was her appearance bothering him, but also her scent. The smell of her blood made the venom pool in his mouth. His fangs were protruding from his gums a little and he had to think of everything possible to keep his fangs from revealing. He suddenly realized Bella was talking to him. "I'm sorry?" he asked.

"Metaphase," she told him gesturing to the slide.

He cleared his throat, swallowing against the venom that was still trying to pool in his mouth and willed his fangs away. "Mind if I check?" he asked.

"No," she replied sitting back a little.

Edward looked through the lense. "Metaphase," he repeated quietly. He saw her bite her lower lip out of the corner of his eye. "How do you like Forks?" he asked.

"It's cold, wet, something that Phoenix wasn't," she replied.

Edward chuckled lightly, tapping his fingers on the table. "Isabella, means "Beautiful" in Italian," he commented. Bella cleared her throat a little.

"Yeah, when my mom was pregnant, she was in this thing where she wanted to look at family ancestry. So she took out my dad's family tree and saw an Isabella in the family so they named me after her," she replied.

Nodding his head slowly, Edward continued to write down the rest of the answers. They had both finished with a few minutes to spare in class.

When the bell rang, Edward once again left the school earlier than the rest of the students. He walked over to his Volvo, climbed in, and sped off towards the hospital.

Carlisle was sitting at his desk, looking over the appointments he had for the next day when his phone rang. "Yes Stacy," he answered as he turned on the speaker.

"Dr. Cullen, I'm sorry to bother you, but your son is here," Stacy informed.

"Thank you Stacy, you can send him in," he answered.

He clicked off the speakerphone as the door opened. He looked up when Edward came in. "What can I do for your son?" he asked.

"Father, I feel like I'm losing my mind," Edward answered.

Carlisle walked over and stood in front of his son. "What is it?" he asked concerned.

"Why does she look like her? Of all the girls in the world, why did it have to be the human that looks like Isabella?" Edward asked.

Sighing, he stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "I can't stay here," he added.

"I could contact the Denali clan if you…" Carlisle started.

"No, the last thing I want is to have Tanya all over me again," Edward muttered.

Carlisle cleared his throat. After over a hundred years of progress, he slowly saw that he was losing Edward all over again. "I won't stop you from going Edward, I won't, I haven't in the past so I won't start now," he informed. Edward nodded his head slowly. "But before you leave, I want you to think long and hard about this. Can you honestly run from this?" Carlisle asked. "I taught you and Jasper to never run from your troubles, but knowing how much it kills you I can see why you'd want to, but can you?" Edward was silent, giving Carlisle a clue that he was pondering his question. "Go home son, we'll talk about this later," he informed.

"Yea, sure," he answered.

He turned around and left the office. Carlisle sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Parenthood never ends," he chuckled lightly as he sat back down at his desk.


	4. Mystification

Chapter 4: Mystification

Walking into her house, Bella hung up her keys as well as her jacket. "Dad I'm home," she called. She put her backpack on the back of a chair when she saw that the light on the answering machine was going off. Pressing play, she went into the fridge to get something to eat.

"_Hey Bells, it's me, I just wanted to let you know that I'm working late tonight on some paperwork so just stick close to the house alright? Okay, talk to you later_," Charlie's voice played on the answering machine.

She sighed as she put some leftover spaghetti in the microwave. While her dinner was cooking, she grabbed her backpack and went upstairs. As she was walking back downstairs, she let out a gasp when she mistook a step and fell down the last two steps. "Ow, great," she muttered as she got off the floor. Checking to see if she had hurt herself, she took her dinner out of the microwave and had a quiet dinner by herself.

Bella preferred the quiet at the moment, it gave her a chance to think. She let out a sigh as she started replaying events of the day in her head. Edward wasn't at school the last few days. She was beginning to wonder if she had said something wrong, which made her replay the conversation she had with him in her head. She couldn't seem to recall anything in their conversation that could've offended him. "Maybe he's just sick," she told herself. Bella shook her head slightly as she got up and cleaned her one dish before heading upstairs.

She lied back on her bed and opened a page to where she left off in Wuthering Heights. Except, she couldn't concentrate on her reading. As she continued to stare at the same paragraph, reading the same line for the twentieth time, her eyes began to droop. Before she could stop herself, she had fallen asleep and her book fell from her hand, falling to the floor. She let out a small sigh in her sleep as she began to dream.

__

**Bella was walking down the stairs when she heard piano playing in the music room of her house. Biting her lower lip, she pushed the door open, the sunlight bouncing off the diamond ring on her left hand.**

**Still smiling, she walked over to the person at the piano, wrapping her arms around his torso. "Is that a new song?" she asked. He chuckled lightly as he stopped playing, reaching up to stroke her hands lovingly.**

**"Yes, on the contrary I had just finished it," he informed.**

**She pressed her forehead against his temple. "It sounds wonderful," she said quietly.**

**"I am pleased that you enjoyed it, because it is for you," he answered.**

**Bella pulled back in disbelief and sat next to him. "You wrote this for me?" she asked, still not believing him. Chuckling lightly, he held up her hand, kissing her knuckles.**

**"Consider it as an early wedding present," he told her smiling.**

**Bella looked up into a pair of emerald green eyes with a smile.**

Bella woke up with a gasp, sitting up in her bed. She rested her hand against her forehead, letting out another deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves. She sat back against the headboard of her bed, closing her eyes. Another weird dream, they were continuing to appear to her for the last few months. Shaking her head slowly, she grabbed her book off the floor, marked her page and went back downstairs.

The next day, Bella was walking in the forest, just trying to clear her head of everything. Biting her lower lip, she wrapped her arms around herself as the bitter, cold air rushed through her. She let out a deep breath as she walked down a hill when she tripped and slid the rest of the way. "Ow, ow," she hissed. She turned over on her back and looked at her knee to see that her jeans had torn open and she had cut her knee up. "Great," she muttered.

Bella got up from the ground when she heard a twig crack. Letting out a gasp, she swung around. "Who's there?!" she called. Her heart started pounding fast and hard against her chest when she didn't see anyone. She heard another twig crack and turned around again, her breathing coming out in pants. She felt like she was being watched and started running back to her house.

When she was halfway home, Bella slipped again but this time hitting her head on a rock. She vividly saw someone walking up to her but darkness took over her.

Edward walked over to the girl and carefully lifted her up from the ground. He saw a small cut on her head from falling onto the rock and carried her back to her house.

When Bella woke up, she was lying on her couch in her living room. "Ow…" she said quietly, lifting her hand up and touched the band-aid on her head. She looked at her knee to see that her scrape was all wrapped up. "Dad?" she called. She realized that her dad still wasn't home. "Then how did I get here?" she pondered as she slowly got up from the couch. Her knee started throbbing as she went to walk up to her bedroom.

Looking around, she sat down on the bed when she still had the feeling she was being watched by someone. Moving to glance over her shoulder, she got back off her bed and moved over to her window. Peering outside, she didn't see anyone. "You're losing it," she told herself. She closed the shades and changed into her pajamas.

Edward was sitting in the tree outside her room. Easily sneaking inside her bedroom, he stood in the darkest corner of her room as he watched her. She was now fast asleep with the blankets down around her waist and an arm tucked under her pillow. Her steady breathing and rhythmic heartbeat reached his ears and he sat in the old rocking chair that was in the corner. "Who's there?" he heard her murmur. He went to leave when he noticed that she was still asleep. "Who are you?" she muttered in her sleep.

Walking over to her bed, he gently moved his fingers through her hair. "Go away," she whimpered softly. He leaned forward so his lips were by her ear.

"You're safe," he whispered.

Bella let out a gasp and her eyes snapped open. Sitting up and looking up, she thought she saw someone standing at the end of her bed. Turning on her nightstand light, she looked back and the person was gone. She pressed her hand against her forehead. "Yeah, now you're really losing your mind Bella," she told herself. Lying back down, she turned her light back off. She closed her eyes and sleep claimed her again.

The next day at school, Bella sat out in front of the school with her friends, Jessica and Angela. "Have you guys seen Edward lately?" she asked curiously.

"No, but doesn't matter whenever the sun's out here in Forks the Cullens disappear," Jessica replied.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked as she leaned back against her truck.

"Dr. and Mrs. Cullen yank them out to go camping and hiking when the weather's nice," Jessica replied.

Bella bit her lower lip and started flipping through the pages of her book when a small flower dropped out if it. Reaching down she picked it up and stared at it, curious to how it got in her book. "Besides that entire family is weird anyways," Jessica commented as they walked up the steps.

"I think they're really nice. They don't bother anyone," Angela pointed out.

"Yeah, my dad seems to like the family," Bella answered.

"They don't do anything, they're not even around town much and if anyone does see them they just keep to themselves. Since Dr. Cullen is a foster dad and a matchmaker, still so gross that his foster kids are dating each other," Jessica commented.

Bella bit her lower lip as she started thinking about Edward again. "Where do they even live?" She asked.

"They live out in the woods, it's really weird," Jessica replied.

Angela rolled her eyes as Jessica went to her class. "The Cullens are nice people, especially Alice," she commented.

"You talked to them?" Bella asked.

"Alice once," Angela replied pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Bella smiled when she went into her first class and sat down just as the bell rang.


	5. Connections

Chapter 5: Connections

Bella sighed as she walked down the street walking with Angela towards a party. "Who's throwing this?" Bella asked.

"Lauren is, she always throws one of these things a month before prom," Angela replied.

"I'm not usually into parties," Bella commented.

"We'll only stay a few minutes, I just want to see if Eric's in there," Angela replied.

"Okay," she murmured.

They walked up the steps and into the house and Bella looked around. It made her uncomfortable to see that everyone was making out. Angela sighed as she went by a couple, trying to find her boyfriend. Bella felt like she was being watched and turned around with a gasp. "Wear a bell around your neck," she muttered when she saw that it was Edward.

"Sorry," he answered.

She stuck her hands in her back pockets. "You're back," she commented.

"Yeah, I had a few things to deal with, personal reasons," he answered.

Bella nodded her head slowly. "How are you liking Forks?" he asked.

"Its Forks," she replied.

Edward looked around and sighed. "Want to stand outside?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," she replied as he led her outside of the house.

She leaned against the railing of the porch with a sigh. "I never saw you as a party person," he quipped lightly.

"I'm not usually," she replied.

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know I keep leaving but I just have a lot of personal stuff to take care of," he commented.

"Why are you giving me an explanation?" she asked curiously.

He shrugged. "Thought you would've wanted one," he replied. She laughed a little, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "So I'm guessing you've heard the stories about my family and me?" he asked.

"Just the usual," she replied.

He chuckled lightly. "Well, actually, Carlisle isn't mine and Jasper's foster father, he really is our father," he informed quietly.

"Wait really?" Bella asked stunned.

"Yeah, my father married young. At 18 actually, my brother was born 8 months after that and I was born a year after that," he replied.

"So you were raised by your dad for awhile?" Bella asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

Bella bit her lower lip, rubbing her hands together before yawning. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just haven't slept well in awhile," she replied.

Edward nodded his head slowly. Bella looked up at him and cleared her throat a little. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied as she looked back at the grass.

She pushed her hair from her eyes and let out a sigh. "How about I walk you home?" he suggested.

"Actually I'm just waiting for my friend to come out," she answered.

Not even two seconds later, Angela walked out. "Okay let's go," she commented.

"Was Eric in there?" Bella asked.

"No, probably went up to Port Angeles," she replied.

Bella nodded as the girls went to leave. "Um…goodnight Edward," she told him.

"Goodnight Bella," he answered.

He watched as she walked down the street with her friend and tapped his fingers lightly against the railing before carefully following behind them, just to keep an eye on the two girls.

Bella was deep in thought when Angela suddenly nudged her. "What?" she asked.

"You and Edward Cullen," Angela replied.

Laughing the young woman shook her head slowly. "Nothing happened, we were just talking," she answered.

"Oh come on, I heard him offer to walk you home, you should've just gone with him," Angela insisted.

"What and leave you behind? I don't think so," Bella replied.

"This is the first time anyone's seen the Edward Cullen act interested in anyone," the other girl commented.

"Really?" Bella asked.

"Yeah, he has turned down every girl in the school," Angela replied.

Bella bit her lower lip. "I don't know but he sure likes you," her friend commented.

"I hardly know him for him to even like me," Bella answered.

"That's why you get to know him," Angela insisted.

The two girls laughed as they went into Angela's house.

Edward was sitting near the window, just keeping an eye on the girls as they were laughing and talking while the music from the CD player was playing. He sat in the tree watching as Bella was laughing at something Angela told her. She suddenly looked up and he moved further into the tree he was sitting in.

Bella opened the window and looked outside, she could've sworn she saw someone. "Bella, you okay?" Angela asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine, I just thought I saw something," she replied.

She closed the window again and sat down on the bed. "So are you going to prom?" Angela asked.

"Mm no I don't think so," Bella replied.

"Why not?" Angela asked in disbelief.

"I'm not into the whole dressing up and dancing thing," she replied as she took a piece of popcorn.

Bella cleared her throat. "Has anyone asked you?" Angela asked.

"Yeah a few guys have asked me," she replied.

"Like who?" she asked.

"Mike, Tyler," Bella replied.

She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Angela, I can't even walk out of my house without falling," she pointed out.

"Well, want to come to Port Angeles with me and help me pick out my prom dress?" Angela asked.

"Uh…sure," Bella replied.

"Great it'll be a lot of fun," the other girl commented smiling.

Bella smiled weakly, she wasn't much into shopping, but she would at least humor her friend.

When Bella arrived home that night, Charlie was lying on the couch watching the game. "I'm home," she called.

"How was it at Angela's?" Charlie asked from the couch.

"Good, we're going to go up to Port Angeles Saturday to look at prom dresses," she replied.

Suddenly her father sat up on the couch muting the television. "You're going to prom?" he asked.

"No, I'm just going to help Angela pick out dresses," she replied.

Charlie was still staring at her. "Has no one asked you" he asked curiously. An awkward silence fell between them.

"Dad are we going to talk about boys?" she asked.

"Yeah I guess not," he replied slowly.

Bella laughed a little as she walked upstairs when she slipped on the top step. "Careful!" Charlie called up to her.

"Yea I know," she answered.

She grabbed her stuff and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

After her shower, she crawled into bed and sleep immediately took over her. And once again, her weird dreams started.

**__**

Bella was sitting in her room crying. She pressed her hand against her forehead while holding the jacket in her hands. "It can not be true," she whispered softly.

"Dear, they called off the search party, it's been months," her mother answered rubbing her arm.

"He is alive! I know he is!" the young woman insisted.

Bella shook her head furiously. "I refuse to believe he is dead! He is not dead and I will prove it," she told her mother. She lied down on her bed and turned on her side while holding the jacket to her chest.


	6. Secret's Out

Chapter 6: Secrets Out

Bella walked down the hall while Mike Newton walked next to her talking about something, she wasn't sure, she wasn't paying attention. She looked up to see Edward by his locker watching her. It kind of bothered her that he was constantly watching her. If they were in the same place together, he watched her.

When biology came around again, Bella sat down in her seat next to Edward. "Is there a reason why you watch me everyday?" she asked.

"I'm just keeping an eye on you, make sure nothing happens," he replied truthfully.

She gave him a quizzical look. "I feel very protective of you Bella," he whispered.

"Why?" she asked.

"It is difficult for me to explain," he replied.

She looked back in her book, shaking her head slowly.

After school, Bella was sitting out on the porch with Jacob sitting next to her. "You okay?" Jacob asked. She glanced over at him.

"Yeah, was just thinking," she replied.

He nudged her lightly. "Want to share?" he asked grinning. She shrugged a little.

"It's nothing special," she assured him.

"Well must be something because you've been quiet for the last hour," he commented.

She laughed a little, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just something at school," she answered.

"Someone picking on you?" he asked putting up his tough guy front.

"Calm down Jake, just a classmate confusing me is all," she replied.

Jacob laughed a little and leaned back to look at the game to see that it was over. "I have to help my dad into the truck," he commented standing up. Bella went to stand up when she slipped on the ice. "Whoa careful," Jacob commented when he grabbed Bella before she hit her head on the concrete.

"Never fails," she laughed.

He laughed as he helped her back to her feet and they went inside.

Bella sighed as she went for a walk in the woods again, stuffing her hands in her jacket. The air was cool for spring and there was still snow on the ground. Bella's mind kept going back to her dreams, she was confused, she just wasn't sure of what to do. Not only that, everything about Edward confused her.

As she continued on her walk, she sat down on the ground, leaning back against a tree. She pulled her knees up to her chest and let out a deep breath. Pushing a strand hair from her eyes, she sat on the ground, reveling in the silence of the forest. Rubbing her hands together, she stuck them in her pockets, letting out a shaky breath.

Carlisle was walking down the stairs with a paper in his hand when he heard an old song that he hadn't heard in years coming from the piano. Looking into the room, he saw Edward sitting in front of the piano, playing a soft melody that had been lost for over a hundred years. "Carlisle…" Esme called when her husband held up his hand, "What is it?"

"Listen," he whispered lightly.

Esme listened and a smile appeared on her face. "The one…" she started. He nodded his head slowly and held his wife's hand in his, holding their clasped hands against his chest.

Edward had his eyes closed, this was the one time he blocked out any kind of thought that was in the house. When he was wrapped up in his music, he didn't let anything else enter his mind. Just as he was finished with his song, Alice ran in. "Edward!" she called, making him jump a little.

"What?" he asked a little irritated.

"I've been calling to you for the last ten minutes!" she exclaimed.

He stood up from the bench. "What?" he repeated again.

"It's Bella, she's in trouble," she answered.

Edward gave her a quizzical look when her vision suddenly entered his mind.

__

**Bella was in the forest alone when a growl was heard behind her. She ran down a hill when she slipped and rolled down the hill, hitting her head against a large rock, knocking her unconscious. The large animal let out a growl and raised it's paw to kill her.**

Edward opened his eyes. "Where's Emmett?" he asked.

"I--" Alice started.

"Forget it!" he hissed as he ran out of the house.

Running through the forest, it didn't take long for him to pick up the sounds of growling and Bella's scream. He ran just as Bella was about to slip. Grabbing a hold of her by her waist, he pulled her aside nearly landing right on top of her.

Bella felt something grab her around her waist and gripped her rescuer's shirt. "Are you alright?" a familiar voice asked. Looking up, she saw that it was Edward.

"Edward…" she started when the bear walked over to them growling.

Before Edward could react, Emmett shoved both him and Bella. "Get her out of here! Get her home," Emmett told his brother while getting in the crouching position.

"Come on," Edward told her.

"What…" Bella started staring at Emmett.

"He'll be fine," Edward insisted.

He grabbed a hold of Bella's arm and pulled her onto his back before running back to the Cullen house. Bella saw everything fly by her at inhumane speed and clung onto Edward. In seconds they were miles from her house and in front of his house. "Are you alright?" Edward asked her as he set her down on the ground. Feeling disoriented, she collapsed. He carefully grabbed her by her waist and helped her sit down on the dirt road. "Bella, can you hear me?" he asked, placing his hand on her face.

Edward squatted in front of her, helping her sit up when he saw her face grow paler than usual. "Bella, say something," he told her. He looked up when his father came out of the house.

"What happened?" he asked running over to his son.

"A bear tried to attack her, Emmett's taking care of it," Edward informed.

Bella seemed to have come out of her shock. "Emmett is fighting that bear?! Is he crazy!?" she exclaimed.

"He'll be fine trust me," Edward answered.

"Bella can you stand up," Carlisle asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

Edward helped her stand up and they went into the house. "Where's Emmett?!" Rosalie demanded as she walked out of the kitchen.

"He's hunting," Edward answered placing Bella on the couch.

Not even five minutes later Emmett walked in, the front of his shirt torn to shreds. "Damn and Rosie just bought this one," he muttered.

"You went out there to help him?" Rosalie demanded standing in front of her husband.

"Rosie come on I was the only one who could take on that bear," he answered.

Bella looked around still confused. "Bella, are you alright?" Carlisle asked.

"Who are you people?" she asked after a few more minutes of silent.

Edward sat next to her. "What do you think we are?" he asked curiously. She stood up and looked at the whole family. She looked from each of their faces, she knew the answer, she knew it too well.

"You guys don't come out in sunlight…I never once eat anything…Edward your eyes changed colors the first time I saw you…you're pale…paler than the average person and you fight bears and win," she told them.

"What are we?" Edward asked standing in front of her.

Bella let out a deep breath as she looked at the whole family. "Vampires," she said quietly.

"Great now she knows," Rosalie muttered.

Carlisle shot Rosalie a look, making her close her mouth. "Are you afraid?" Edward asked quietly. Bella stared into Edward's face.

"No," she said quietly.

Edward reached up and traced his fingers over her jaw. "You shouldn't be afraid either Bella," Carlisle told her stepping forward.

"We don't hurt humans," Esme put in.

Bella let out a deep breath and backed up from Edward's touch. "Come with me," she told him leaving the house. Edward glanced at his family before leaving to go after Bella.

Bella was walking down the road when she slipped and fell on her bottom. Edward hurried over and helped her up. "So…everything you've told me was a lie?" she asked.

"Not about Jasper and me being Carlisle's real children," Edward answered.

She gave him a quizzical look. "How long have you been like this?" she asked.

"Jasper since 1863," he replied.

"What about you?" She asked.

"My father and I were turned into vampires in 1862," he replied.

She pushed her hair from her eyes. "Come with me and I'll explain everything," he told her holding out his hand. She bit her lower lip before she placed her hand in his and he pulled her onto his back before running into the forest.


	7. The Whole Story

Chapter 7: The Whole Story

Bella gasped when Edward set her down on the ground. She looked around to see that she was in a beautifully lit meadow. She looked up and her eyes widened when she saw the light bouncing off Edward's exposed skin like diamonds. "Wow…" she whispered. Edward let out an unneeded breath as he kneeled down in front of her while sitting in the shade.

"I was eighteen at the time, the year was 1862 and it was just father and me, Jasper had gone off to war already," he murmured quietly.

Bella bit her lower lip. "So…what happened?" she asked. Edward winced slightly at the memory, letting out another unneeded breath.

"I was engaged to be married at the time, it was two weeks before the wedding," he said quietly as the memories flooded back to him.

__

**Edward was standing in front of the mirror of the tailor's shop as the old woman checked and rechecked every single part of his suit. "Anything uncomfortable?" she asked.**

**"No ma'am," he replied.**

**"Good good," she said grinning.**

**She fixed the front of the jacket. "Lucky young lady," she commented chuckling lightly.**

**"Actually I'm the lucky one," he answered.**

**Edward looked towards the window to see that Isabella wasn't back from getting her dress fitted yet. "You can change now," she informed. Edward nodded as he went to change out of his suit.**

**Walking out of the tailor's, Edward started heading home. The air was cooler than usual for the summer. Stuffing his hands in his jacket, he thought that he would just meet with Isabella and his father at the restaurant that was just around the corner.**

**Just then someone bumped into him. "Excuse me," he told the stranger.**

**"No worries boy no worries, say do you have the time?" the stranger asked.**

**"Yes," Edward replied.**

**Edward reached into his pocket to pull out his watch when he looked up into the man's face. His heart stopped when he saw deep red eyes staring at him. The stranger hissed, shoved him into the nearest alley, ripping Edward's jacket off when he tried to escape. Throwing the young man back to the ground, he landed on some broken glass, making Edward hiss in pain as the vampire pinned him down to the ground. "What are you?" Edward gasped out.**

**"The last thing you'll see alive," the stranger hissed.**

**As Edward struggled, the vampire forced his head to the side and he felt his fangs piercing into his skin.**

Edward snapped out of his reverie, looking over at the stunned young woman as he stated, "I don't remember what happened after that. I woke up three days later in an abandoned room with my father." She gave him a quizzical look.

"You mean you don't know how Carlisle was turned?" she queried.

Shaking his head slowly, he moved his fingers through his hair. "That would be his side of the story to tell," he replied quietly. Bella moved closer to him, tracing her fingers over the scar on his neck. "Don't," he hissed pulling her hand away. She let out a gasp when his face was extremely close to hers. "Just a horrible reminder that I'm now a monster," he growled.

"You haven't hurt me," she answered.

A shriek filled the air when Bella was suddenly pushed onto her back and Edward was above her. "I can't hurt you, even though your blood sings to me like honey does to a bee. Your scent is so…alluring…delectable, but I just can't hurt you," he told her.

"You don't want to be a monster," she murmured.

"It's not just the monster part," he answered staring down at her.

He reached out, tracing her jaw gently, reaching up to the back of her neck. "You remind me of her. How can fate be so unkind that someone that looks like her is right here in front of me?" he said quietly more to himself than to her. The young human could suddenly see pain in his caramel eyes. "You even share her name," he hissed quietly.

"Who?" Bella questioned quietly.

"Isabella, the woman I was to marry," he answered as he got off her.

Sitting up from the ground, she drew a knee to her chest. "I look like her?" she asked. He was suddenly quiet, his jaw locked.

"We need to go back," he told her.

Grabbing her by the arm, he pulled her onto his back again and ran back to Bella's house.

The next day, Bella was unable to sleep. All of Edward's words from the day before kept her up all night and she wanted more answers. During school, Edward wasn't in school again, making Bella even more curious about his story. After school, she acted like she was going to head back home when she saw the rest of the Cullen siblings walk out of the school to their respective cars. Climbing into her truck, Bella started it up and drove after the cars.

When she turned a corner, she was disappointed to see that the cars were out of her sight. Stopping the truck, she sat back, pushing her hair from her eyes. "Did you really think that was going to work?" a voice asked next to her. Startled, she looked over to see Alice sitting in the passenger's side of the car.

"How did you…" Bella started.

"I'm a psychic," Alice replied smiling.

"So…you saw all this?" Bella asked.

The petite vampire shook her head slowly. "My visions are subjective, I can only see into the future depending on a person's decision. They change their mind the visions change," she explained.

"So…where's Edward?" Bella queried.

"He's at the house," Alice replied sitting back in her seat, she gestured to the road, "Carlisle's waiting for you."

"He is?"

Nodding Alice smiled a little as Bella started up he truck and drove to the Cullen house with Alice directing her.

As they walked into the house, the first thing Bella noticed was piano music. Following the music, she came across a room that was right next to the living room. Peeking inside, she saw Edward sitting at the piano playing a beautiful piece of music. "I think it'd be best if we left him alone," a voice said behind her. Turning around, she saw a young woman standing there, she recognized her from school.

"Annabelle right?" she asked.

"Yeah," Annabelle replied smiling.

She looked into the room to see Edward concentrating on his music. Annabelle then looked towards the stairs. "Dad's calling for you," she informed, pushing a curled hair behind her ear as she lead Bella upstairs.

"So…you're a vampire too?" Bella asked as they walked up the stairs.

Annabelle laughed a little. "I'm half-vampire and half-human. Carlisle and Esme are my birthparents," she told them.

"But…" Bella started.

"I'll have to explain it to you sometime, but dad's wanting to talk to you so it'll have to wait," Annabelle told her, smiling a smile identical to Carlisle's.

Nodding her head slowly, Bella walked over to the large mahogany painted door and went inside. "Dad will be right there," Annabelle informed before going downstairs. Walking into the office, Bella closed the door behind her and looked around the large office. After calling Charlie and telling him she was studying at the Cullens', she closed her phone and looked around at the many pictures hanging up on the wall.

Walking around, she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Many of the pictures were black and white, some were paintings. There were a few pictures that caught her eye that sat on a bookshelf. Reaching up, she took the picture down.

The picture was of Carlisle, Edward, and Jasper. Carlisle was standing between his two sons, all three had small smiles on their faces as they were standing outside a house. "That was taken a year before Jasper joined the war," a voice said behind her, making her drop the picture. Chuckling, Carlisle walked over and picked it up.

"Sorry I wasn't meaning…" she started, but Carlisle stopped her with another chuckle.

"Don't worry, you have every right to be curious," he answered, placing the picture back on the shelf.

"Annabelle said you needed to speak to me?" she questioned.

His face turned serious suddenly and he nodded his head slowly. "Yes, it is about Edward," he informed leaning against his desk, "how much did he tell you?"

"Um…just what he remembered on the night he was turned," she replied sitting down.

Nodding his head slowly, he rubbed his hands together, clearing his throat. "Edward would only know his side of the story, he was unconscious when I found him," he explained quietly. Bella saw his eyes start to glaze over as his mind drifted to that same night.

__

**Carlisle had dismounted his horse, tying the rein to the vertical pole when he suddenly heard scuffling in a nearby alley. Hurrying over to see what was going on, he suddenly heard his son say, "What are you?"**

**"I'm the last thing you will see alive," the person answered.**

**Carlisle looked into the alley to find the person hovering over his now unconscious son. "No!" the man exclaimed running over and shoving the attacker off Edward. The attacker was back in the crouching position.**

**"That was foolish!" he hissed.**

**Carlisle looked over to see his son groaning in pain, his neck was bleeding. Looking at the attacker, he saw the fangs, making his eyes widen in disbelief. "You won't touch my son!" he snapped going after the vampire.**

**The vampire grabbed Carlisle by his shirt throwing him to the ground. His world spun when his head connected to the ground. "Two for one," the vampire sneered as he placed his hand under Carlisle's chin and forced his head up, exposing his throat. He felt the teeth sink into his skin and he cried out in pain. His shouts of pain suddenly started attracting attention and the vampire let Carlisle go, disappearing into the night.**

**Carlisle felt the venom spread through his body, but forced himself to get up. "Edward, Edward, talk to me son," he begged, his hands on his son's face.**

**"Isabella…" Edward groaned as the venom continued with it's journey through his own body.**

**"Over here!" a voice called.**

**Carlisle grabbed a hold of his son, lifting him over his shoulder with whatever strength he had left. "Hold on son," he said quietly as he moved through the nearest door to the abandoned room. Unable to take another step he collapsed to the floor, holding onto Edward so he wouldn't hit the floor too. He held onto Edward like a lifeline as darkness claimed him.**

Carlisle opened his eyes and looked over at Bella. "For the next three days and nights Edward and I were hidden in that room," he concluded his story. Bella was staring at him in disbelief to hear how he tried to fight a vampire to protect his son was captivating. "But I didn't bring you in here just to tell you my side of the story," he commented.

"What is it?" Bella asked quietly.

"I wanted to tell you that after the change, it has hurt Edward a lot, especially with everything about Isabella," he informed.

She nodded her head slowly. "I understand," she said quietly.

"I'm just saying that you should be patient when it comes to Edward, he'll come around. When he thinks about her, he just needs a few days to get himself back together," he explained.

He rested his hand gently on her shoulder. Bella smiled a little, nodding her head slowly. "I can understand why it's so hard or him…" Bella started. Carlisle sighed a little.

"It's not my story to tell, but its more than just the fact that he was turned into a vampire days before his wedding, no it's mort than that, it has to deal more with his Isabella," he said quietly.

"What is it?" she asked.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Once again, that is not my part to tell, just give him time and he will explain it," he assured her. She nodded her head slowly and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.


	8. Eather Shattering Pain

Chapter 8: Earth Shattering Pain

Edward was lying back on his couch listening to Debussy play over his stereo system. He tried to think of anything to keep his mind of Bella and Isabella. Except the engagement ring on his neck felt like a huge weight even for him. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sat up and leaned back against the wall as he tried to think.

Leaning forward, he placed his head in his hands, letting out a deep breath when he looked out the windows to see that the sky was becoming lighter, to show that the day had started. Getting up from his couch, he changed into his clothes and decided to leave earlier than his siblings. Walking down the stairs, he saw Carlisle standing there. "Are you going to school this time son?" he asked.

"Yes," he replied as he walked by his father.

Carlisle turned around and grabbed his son's arm. "Father…I just want to think not talk," he told him yanking his arm away. Esme walked up behind her husband, holding his hand as Edward grabbed his jacket and left.

Edward sat outside the school for hours. He watched in the darkness as the faculty showed up first and then slowly the students started arriving at the schooling. Coming out of the woods, he sat on the back of his car. He would listen in on a conversation just to see if anyone was thinking anything interesting. When nothing came to mind, he pushed his fingers through his hair when he saw Bella's truck pull up. She got out of her truck and saw that she noticed him.

As he got off his car, Bella walked over to him. "You're early," she commented quietly.

"Yeah, I needed time to think," he replied.

She bit her lower lip as he reached up and stroked her face gently. "Something happened to her didn't it?" she asked.

"Who?" he asked, his fingers tracing over her jaw.

"Isabella, that's why it affects you so much to see me," she answered.

He stared at her, letting out an unneeded breath. "I won't explain here," he whispered. He looked up when the rest of his siblings started arriving.

"Then when?" she asked.

He reached down and held her hand in his, gently tracing her ring with his finger. "After school," he said quietly. Edward leaned forward, kissing her forehead gently when her scent invaded his nose. The smell of freesias made him close his eyes and swallow a groan. "Meet me by my car after school," he murmured.

"Okay," she answered quietly.

He glanced at his siblings before going into the school. Bella bit her lower lip, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear before going into the school.

Throughout the school day, Bella was half-listening to all of her teachers. Her mind kept going over the last few days. "_Edward's family are a coven of vampires…and I look like his dead fiancé…could anything get any stranger?_" she thought to herself.

"Miss Swan," the teacher called.

Her head snapped up from her daydream. "Yes," she answered.

"Could you tell us the meaning of Hamlet's speech "To be or not to be"?" the teacher asked.

Bella bit her lower lip. "What exactly is Hamlet speaking about is what I am asking," he informed.

"He is thinking about suicide, he was trying to rationalize his thoughts of death, but they are not answered because life after death is still a mystery," she replied.

"Miss Swan, I think it would be wise if you would pay attention to the class than going off in your own daydream world," the teacher informed.

She flushed lightly when the rest of the class chuckled lightly. The teacher went back to the lecture, but she continued to think while pretending to write down notes in the class.

After class, Bella was sitting at her usual lunch table with Angela and Eric when Edward suddenly walked over. "Come with me," he told her quietly. Angela looked at her friend in disbelief.

"Uh…okay," she answered getting up from her seat.

Edward handed her his jacket. "It's drizzling outside, you'll need this more than I do," he told her as they left the cafeteria. Bella pulled on the jacket as they walked outside.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I have been trying to think of a way to explain this all day, for the last three days," he replied.

She bit her lower lip as she stuck her hands in her pocket. "What is it?" she asked.

"Did my father tell you about Isabella?" Edward asked.

"No," she replied honestly.

Edward sat on the picnic table as the bell rang. "We should get to class," Bella commented.

"It's healthy to skip once in awhile," he replied.

Bella sat down next to him and looked at the chain around his neck. "What's that?" she asked touching the chain. He jerked his head away with a hiss.

"Don't touch that," he told her.

She bit her lower lip and clasped her hands in front of her. "About Isabella…her death wasn't…natural," he told her. Bella gave him a quizzical look. "This was…four years after my apparent death…Isabella moved on, almost forcibly but she moved on. She married a good man and they had a child, a son, Thomas," he started.

"What were you stalking her?" she quipped.

Edward chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Not really stalked her, I watched over her, protected her," he replied.

"So…what happened?" she asked.

The vampire moved his fingers through his hair, letting out an unneeded breath. "Isabella was twenty-one, living a life that I knew she deserved. She was happy, not extremely happy like I wish she was, but she was happy. One night, I had gone on a hunt. I usually hunted during the night so I could watch her again during the day and the evening," he explained.

Edward closed his eyes tight. "I remember as if it had happened just hours ago. I heard her screams…she was screaming for someone to help her. By the time I got there…it was too late, her death wasn't natural Bella she was murdered," he added.

"By a vampire," she concluded.

"Yes, but the same one that tried to kill my father and me," he replied his voice coming out in a dangerous tone.

She reached over and rested her hand on his arm. "Edward," she said quietly. He looked over at her and saw the pain in his eyes. "It wasn't your fault," she whispered quietly.

"How was it not my fault?" he asked.

"Isabella wouldn't want you to blame yourself for her death," she answered.

He closed his eyes tight and Bella reached up, moving her fingers through his hair. "She wouldn't want it," she said quietly. Edward looked over at her before standing up from the table.

"You should get to biology," he told her.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked.

"Mm no, not the best idea today," he replied stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Edward…" she started.

He walked away from her before she could say anything else.

That night, Bella was sleeping in her bed when the strange dreams started plaguing her again.

**_Bella walked down the street looking around. "Richard!?" She called. Only silence answered her calls. She walked by an alley when she saw a limp body lying on the ground. Hurrying over, she pulled the person onto their back and gasped. "Richard!" she exclaimed her hands over her mouth when she saw her dead husband lying in front of her. She got up and went to leave when she saw a figure there. Before she could scream, the person had her pinned to the wall._**

__

**"Don't worry, this won't hurt…much," the person sneered.**

**"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" she screamed.**

**The vampire covered her mouth and his fangs dug into her neck and she let out a scream.**

Bella had her hand on her neck screaming at the top of her lungs. Charlie ran into the room. "Bella, Bella," he called shaking her. Bella sat up screaming.

"DON'T!" she screamed.

"Shh, shhh, it's okay baby," Charlie whispered gently stroking his daughter's hair.

Bella realized she was still holding her neck and gasped. "I guess that whole pricking your finger in biology made you more than just dizzy from the blood, dreaming of vampires?" Charlie asked chuckling.

"Yeah…I guess so," she answered.

He kissed her forehead gently with a smile. "Get some rest kiddo," he told her stroking her hair. She nodded her head slowly as she lied back down on the bed. Charlie turned out the light and left her alone.

Alice was sitting in the garden with Jasper. They were talking and laughing, he was lying on his back with his head resting in her lap while she was stroking his hair. Just then, Jasper saw his wife stiffen and she let out a gasp. Sitting up, he rested his hands on her waist. "What is it? What do you see darlin?" he asked quietly. Alice let out another gasp.

"She's Isabella," she whispered.


	9. Needing Answers

Chapter 9: Needing Answers

Bella pulled up to Jacob's house and sat in her truck. She moved her fingers through her hair as she sat in silence. She couldn't get her last dream out of her head, she could actually feel the vampire's fangs digging into her neck. She let out a gasp and spun around when she heard someone banging on the window. "Bells, what's going on?" he called her. Getting out of the truck, Jacob saw that his friend was freaked out over something. "What is it?" he asked.

"Something's happening to me," she answered.

"What, what's happening to you?" he asked concern showing in his voice as he took another step towards her.

"I'm having these strange dreams, Jake, it's freaking me out," she replied.

"What are they about?" he asked.

Instead of answering, Bella walked over and hugged him as tight as she could. Jacob hugged her back, careful not to hurt her. "What is it?" he asked.

"I know about the Cullens, I know what they are," she answered.

He let out a sigh, closing his eyes. "You're dreaming about them attacking you?" he asked quizzically.

"No, these are different dreams," she answered.

She pulled back, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Jake, I'm seeing things, things in a whole different era. I mean, I know sometimes it's just a dream, but it's almost the same dream all the time every night during the past three months," she told him.

They started walking through the forest together. "Jake, is it possible for someone to be…born again?" she asked curiously.

"What you mean like reincarnated?" he asked.

"Well…yeah," she answered slowly.

Jacob pushed a branch to a tree back. "Well, vampires and werewolves exist so I guess anything's possible," he commented. She put her hands in her pockets as they continued walking down the path. "Do you want to share a dream that you've had?" he asked.

"Well lately it's the most recent one I had that is bothering me the most. You see, I spoke to Edward, he told me about his fiancé that was murdered over a hundred years ago," she replied.

Bella was quiet for a little while before she continued. "He didn't go into details about the murder only that she was murdered. Then last night, I dreamt about being murdered by a vampire," she told him.

"Well, Bella that can mean so many different things. Just because you dream about being killed by a vampire doesn't mean you're a reincarnated person," Jacob commented.

"You don't understand, Jake, I mean it was like I was her, that girl that was killed. I woke up screaming while holding my neck. It was too real to just be a dream," she insisted.

He stopped and looked at her. "What so you think you're this leech's dead fiancé reincarnated?" he asked.

"I don't know Jake, maybe I'm just going crazy," she commented.

"Or maybe they're just dreams," he pointed out.

Bella was silent as she continued walking. "Maybe you're right or maybe it's something else. This whole situation is just…strange," she answered. Jacob looked over at his friend and sighed.

"So…what do you plan on doing?" he asked.

"I don't know, learn more about this Isabella that Edward talked about. Maybe talk to his father, I don't know, I'll think of something," she answered.

"They are leeches Bella they can't be trusted," Jacob told her.

"If they were dangerous Jake they would've killed me already," she answered.

"I can't protect you on their land Bella, if you're going to go there I can't go with you," he told her.

Bella looked at him. "You don't need to protect me from them, Jake, I don't need protection at all. I just want answers," she told him as she walked back to her truck. Jacob moved his fingers through his short hair before walking off.

Bella drove up to the Cullen house and got out of her truck. Hurrying up to the door, she started knocking when Carlisle answered. "Bella, is everything alright?" he asked.

"What can you tell me about Isabella?" she asked.

Carlisle was silent. "Edward won't talk about her and you know he won't," she pointed out. Sighing, the vampire patriarch let her in and led her upstairs.

"After Isabella's murder, I lost my son for five years," he informed.

"He left?" she asked.

"No, he was there but it was like watching a walking corpse. He hunted and stayed in his room all day that is all he did. Three years after the murder though, he did leave, I didn't see him for two years," he explained as he opened the door to his office.

"Where did he go?" she asked.

Carlisle closed and locked his door behind them. "Anywhere that wasn't near New York, but before he left he gave me some things to burn," he informed. He walked over to the large safe that was in the corner of the room. He took out a safety deposit box and handed it to Bella. "Just open it in here, he doesn't know I still kept this," he told her.

Placing the box on the desk, she opened it to reveal letters, a leather bound journal with the letters _E.A.C_. on the front, and some jewelry. Reaching into the box, she lifted up a bracelet, examining the vintage jewelry. "Edward had that made for Isabella that he was going to have sent to her the day of the wedding," Carlisle informed. The bracelet was a Victorian rose cut Bohemian garnet clamper bracelet, it was gold with blue colored rose cut garnets all over it with a flower in the middle.

"It's beautiful," she commented quietly.

She lifted up a necklace that that matched with the bracelet. "That he gave her on her sixteenth birthday," he informed sitting in the chair.

"He wanted all of this destroyed?" she asked.

"Yes, especially since to us he could still smell her scent all over the jewelry," he replied.

She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she put the jewelry back into the box. She picked up the large stack of letters that was inside. "Some of these are dated back to 1854. During that time I had moved the boys up to Chicago for awhile, before we moved back down into the south right before the war started," he explained.

Bella sat down and pulled out one of the last dated letters. "December 23rd, 1861," she read quietly. She opened the letter and began reading what was written

__

Dearest Edward,

I hope that you are fairing well, since I know the last week has been hard on you and your father since Jasper's disappearance. I would come visit you, but mother and father had me travel with them to Charleston. As soon as I am back home in Texas I'll be with you again, to comfort you.

I just wanted to remind you Edward, that Jasper, no matter where he is, is a strong, noble man. I am sure that he will be alright wherever he may be. He might try to send a post to you as soon as he is able to, but with the war you know it is difficult for mail to be delivered anywhere. Patience is a virtue, I am sure Jasper is just fine and probably worries about you and your father as well.

To try to cheer you up a little, I miss you so much. I count the days until I see you again, it is hard to concentrate on any studies when you are on my mind all the time. Mother has been scolding me for my lack of concentration, but when I am alone I just laugh to myself because to see her so upset over the situation is humorous. When the laughter dies down, I only miss you more because I know you would be laughing with me as you always have.

I miss you and I will see you as soon as I can. I love you.

Always Yours,

Isabella

Bella closed the letter, putting it back into the pile. "Is it okay if I…" she started gesturing to the journal.

"You might just want to skip to the last entry to the journal," Carlisle informed.

She opened the journal and skipped all the way to the last entry. "September 13th, 1867," she murmured.

__

To Whomever it May Concern:

Today my Isabella would have been twenty-two-years-old. If it weren't for the monster who turned me and my father into this vile creature as well as attacked my love, I would not be writing this entry today.

It has been a year since my Isabella's dreadful murder. A year since I could hear her screams for help and I was too late to save her. Me, I am supposed to be a vampire, a creature that had no boundaries, but I couldn't even save her from a nightmarish death.

I feel the pain of her son, whom will grow up without knowing his wonderful, beautiful mother. A strong, loving woman that I had almost married myself four years ago if I hadn't become this creature of the night.

My mission, the reason for my last entry in this journal, to whomever is reading, I plan on searching for the monster who killed such an innocent woman. I will not stop until that fiend is destroyed, I will search to the ends of the earth to find him. When I find him, I will kill him. With my last breath within in me, I will kill him even if it kills me.

To my darling Isabella, forgive me for not being able to rescue you. My love for you will be immortal as I am.

Farewell,

Edward Anthony Cullen

Bella close the journal, looking at Carlisle. "Did he succeed?" she asked. He shook his head slowly.

"No, he didn't. He continues to search though, in every way he can he searches for that vampire," he replied.

Bella bit her lower lip and put the journal back into the box. "There is a picture that Edward wanted me to burn that's in the bottom of the box. It's of Edward and Isabella," he informed. Reaching into the box, she pulled out the picture he was talking about, reading the back. "It was taken four months before Edward and I were attacked," he added.

Nodding her head slowly, she turned the picture over and felt her heart stop in her chest and the air left her lungs in a whoosh. "Oh God…" she whispered. She stood up with the picture in her hand.

"What is it?" Carlisle asked.

Bella swallowed hard as she looked at the picture. "It's me," she replied quietly. She put her hand against her forehead as she continued to stare. "I mean…it's me…not like a 'I look like her', no it's actually me!" she gasped dropping the picture onto the desk, "I was born on September 13th, 1987. There is too much information similar between me and her to be a coincidence Carlisle," she insisted. The vampire stood up and looked at the picture, seeing what she was saying. "I'm Isabella," she whispered.

"Impossible," a voice said behind her.

Turning around, she saw Edward standing there.


	10. The Impossible is Possible

Chapter 10: The Impossible is Possible

Edward stood in his father's office to see Bella standing there with his old journal and the photograph of him and Isabella. "It is impossible, you can't be Isabella, she was murdered, dead. Even so if you were Isabella you would have to be a vampire or something, but you wouldn't be human," he insisted.

"Edward, there is just too much to be a coincidence, besides I have been having dreams about us. Dreams of during this time when…she…I was alive then," she answered.

"It's because I told you about it," he hissed as he left the room.

Bella put the book and picture down and went after him. "You play Beethoven's _Moonlight Sonata_ on the piano," she told him.

"I still do," he answered.

She bit her lower lip as she continued to go after him. "How do I know that the chain around your neck is actually the engagement ring?" she asked.

"Anyone here could've told you that," he answered as he went outside.

Bella ran as fast as he kept walking. "You wrote her a song! A secret lullaby that no one here knows about! You wrote it as a wedding present and she walked in on you writing it," she told him. Edward stopped and listened to her. "She was married to Richard even though she cared for him and loved her son more than anything in the world she still thought of you. Every moment they were together she…I…was wishing it was you and that little boy was ours," she told him.

"It's impossible," he said quietly.

Bella walked over and grabbed his arm gently. "You proposed in the garden behind my parents' house, you were so nervous your hands were shaking," she murmured. She swallowed hard. "I kept your jacket with me until the day I died. Even when I was married your jacket was hanging in my closet," she said quietly. Edward closed his eyes tight before pulling his arm away.

"It's not possible," he told her before running into the woods.

Edward continued to run through the forest. When he finally stopped, he sat down on the ground, putting his head in his hands. "Son?" Carlisle called. He walked over to his son, sitting next to him.

"It isn't possible, I saw her dead body. I held her lifeless form in my arms, she was completely drained of blood. Even then she's human still, she would've died of old age years ago," Edward told his father.

Carlisle sighed. "She knows things though son, she knows specific details of events that only Isabella would know," he pointed out. Edward moved his fingers through his hair, closing his eyes. "Also, think of this Edward, this could be scaring her too. She's remembering a past she had no idea she had," he pointed out. Edward nodded his head slowly.

"How is this possible?" he asked.

"How is it possible that vampires and werewolves exist son? We're supposed to be unreal as well," Carlisle replied.

Chuckling lightly, Edward moved his fingers through his hair, understanding what his father had meant.

Bella was sitting at her house looking over her notes when she felt like she was being watched. Turning around she gasped, nearly falling off her bed when she saw Edward there. "You startle easy," he chuckled as he pulled up a chair.

"You surprised me, there's a difference," she answered her face flushing.

They sat in silence for the longest time, just staring at each other. "What else do you remember?" he asked, finally after a few more minutes. She bit her lower lip, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't remember anything else except for what I already told you," she replied.

She rubbed her hands together, clearing her throat. "Thomas…do you know what happened to him?" she asked quietly. Edward moved his fingers through his hair.

"I know Charles and his wife raised him as their own after the murder…he grew up to be a good man like I know she…or…you would have wanted," he answered.

Bella laughed a little. "This is just so weird," she commented.

"It is," he agreed, nodding his head slowly.

She closed her book, sitting on her knees on her bed in front of him. "But you thought of me? All the time?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, her hands on his knees.

Edward winced a little at the memories of all the times he saw Isabella with Richard. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers. Bella closed her eyes, moving her hand up to stroke his cheek. "Your scent is intoxicating to me," he said quietly. He reached up, resting his hand over hers. "My Bella," he whispered. She looked into his caramel brown eyes, moving her other hand over his jaw. "Your scent is like a drug to me Bella, this isn't like before when the scent was tolerable. I have never wanted a human's blood so badly," he whispered.

"You haven't hurt me so far," she said quietly.

She traced her fingers along the chain around his neck before taking the necklace into her hands. "Edward…I am not the same Isabella as I was before," she told him.

"I know," he answered.

Edward lifted her chin up so she was looking him in the eye. "I want to get to know you all over again," he said quietly. Bella smiled a little as he kissed her forehead gently. "Your father's coming," he told her. She watched him go before opening her book again as Charlie opened the door.

"Hey, were you talking to someone in here?" Charlie asked.

Bella quickly grabbed her phone. "I was talking to mom a few minutes ago," she replied.

"Hmm well don't stay up too late kiddo," he told her.

"I won't," she answered.

He closed the door and Bella fell back on the bed, pressing her hand against her forehead. "What a month," she told herself.

"It has been a crazy month," Edward answered standing by her bed again.

Bella looked over at him, sitting up a little. "Could you…stay with me please?" she asked. He sat down on the bed and leaned back against the headboard. Bella sighed as she lied down on her bed and rested her head on his stone, cold chest.

After they spent the last few hours talking, Edward looked down when Bella suddenly stopped responding to his questions. "Bella?" he whispered. He looked down at her to see that she was fast asleep with her arm draped over his stomach. He stroked her hair gently, taking in her scent. He leaned forward, kissing the top of her head with a small smile. They had a long way to go, but he felt that things would get better from here.


	11. A Familiar Emotion

Chapter 11: A Familiar Emotion

Bella woke up to the sound of someone honking their car horn outside her house. Getting up, she walked over to the window to see Edward outside waiting for her. Shaking her head slowly with a small laugh, she showered, changed, and went downstairs.

Edward removed his sunglasses as Bella walked out of the house. "Where are we going? It's Saturday," she commented.

"The meadow, like before," he replied.

Bella smiled as she climbed onto Edward's back and he started running through the trees. Closing her eyes tight, she wrapped her arms as tight as she cold around his neck. When he finally came to a stop, he carefully set her down on the ground. The sun was always out where they were and Bella could see his glittering skin again. "So beautiful…" she whispered, touching his face. Edward sighed, closing his eyes before taking in her scent.

They lied down on the ground, staring at each other. "Were you able to remember anything?" he asked.

"Just a little," she replied.

He took her hand and held it against his chest. "What do you remember?" he asked.

"I remember that summer when we traveled together to another home…Liberty, I believe the land was called," she commented.

Edward chuckled softly. "You're remembering the summer that father bought that land," he answered.

"Am I?" she asked.

Nodding his head slowly, he moved his thumb over her hand. "The memories have been more…peaceful than before," she murmured. Edward closed his eyes for a second while Bella moved onto her stomach staring at him.

"Bella, if I ever hurt you, I could never forgive myself. You can still turn and walk away," he whispered.

"Edward, I have no life if you're not in it," she said quietly.

He leaned forward, gently resting his forehead against hers. "What made you come to Forks?" he asked, wanting to get to know this Bella. Bella pulled back, entwining her fingers with his.

"Mom remarried, her new husband is a minor league baseball player and he travels a lot. Last year mom stayed home with me and I saw that being away from him made her unhappy so I decided to move in with dad," she explained.

"He's a good man, your father," he commented.

Bella smiled a little. "I never personally met him, my father knows him. Charlie's had to come in and get statements about accidents and everything and my father would be there," he added. They were sitting in silence again, just looking at each other.

"Have you ever wondered what our lives would've been like if they turned out like they had before?" she queried.

"Every second of my existence I thought about it," he answered.

He let out an unneeded breath as Bella moved closer, resting her head on his chest. "All these years I was alone," he murmured.

"No one else?" she asked lifting her head up.

Edward looked down at her, shaking his head slowly. "I felt that taking another "mate" would've been betrayal," he replied. She moved her fingers over his chest.

"Edward, you know that back then and even know if anything were to happen to me, I'd want you to be happy," she said quietly.

"Nothing will happen to you this time, I won't let it," he answered.

"You can't protect me all the time Edward," she told him.

He moved his fingers gently over her cheek. "No…but I can try," he said quietly. Bella rolled her eyes a little before pressing her forehead to his. Edward smiled a little, moving his hand up and down her back.

Two days later, Bella drove up to the Cullen house, getting out of her truck. She pushed a strand of hair and looked around. It didn't look like anyone was home. "Edward?" she called closing the door to her truck. She walked around the house to see if anyone was home. "Esme? Alice?" she called. Bella gasped and fell backwards when someone jumped from the tree, landing in front of her.

"Alice dragged Esme and Rosalie shopping. Father's at the hospital, and Emmett and Edward went hunting," Jasper said chuckling as he helped her up.

"And you're here alone?" she asked curiously.

"I love my wife but even I have to find ways of tricking her visions so I can hide," he replied grinning a little.

She laughed a little, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Wow…never thought I'd hear the words of you being married though, as weird as that sounds," she commented. Jasper chuckled.

"Just had to find the right girl," he answered stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets.

He gestured toward the trail. "Care to join me for a walk?" he suggested.

"Sure…" she replied slowly following him.

They walked along the trail in silence for awhile. "What happened to you? You disappeared," she commented. Jasper let out an unneeded breath.

"I joined the war, I was able to convince them that I was of age to join," he told her.

She pushed her hair from her eyes. "So…was it…" she started.

"No…it wasn't the same vampire that turned my father and brother, this was a completely different vampire," he explained.

Looking up at the vampire, she couldn't help but give him a quizzical look. "I was turned into a vampire in 1863, a year after Father and Edward were turned into vampires. I was traveling home to make arrangements, with the okay from my commanding officer of course. Except, I never made it back to Texas, I was attacked by a vampire named Maria and she turned me into a soldier for her army," he explained.

"So…how did you find Carlisle and Edward?" she asked.

Chuckling lightly, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually, father found me. By that point, I had escaped Maria's army, not wanting to be a killer. He took me back into the family with open arms and he started…" Jasper started when he grabbed Bella's arm and helped her over a fallen log, "teaching me how to just feed off animals than people."

"Thanks," she told him.

"No problem," he answered.

He cleared his throat a little. "I have to ask Bella, how do you really feel about all this? I can feel uncertainty radiating from you," he told her. She sighed.

"This is just all so strange and happening so fast," she answered.

Jasper nodded his had slowly. "I can see how that would be," he told her.

"I mean I know about a world that other people just tell around a campfire as scary stories and now knowing that I had a past life with the family…it's just something that wasn't even part of my wildest dreams," she answered.

"And what about the feelings for my brother?" Jasper asked curiously.

She sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest as they kept walking. "I do love him, that's for sure. Then on and off I'm trying to figure out in my head that if it's really me that loves him or if it's Isabella's love or him," she explained.

"Because you're Isabella but yet you're not Isabella," Jasper concluded.

"Well…yeah, does that make sense?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't it make sense?" he questioned curiously.

She shrugged her shoulders. "You are a reincarnated Isabella born in the present century, born and raised in a different way. You won't be the same girl as you were all the way back in that time," he told her.

"So…that's what confuses me if my feelings for Edward are genuine or just the memories of it," she answered.

"That is why you two are taking it as slow as you are. Hand holding that kind of stuff, you're not going to jump into the seriousness of a relationship. Edward surely won't because he's just as confused as you are," he told her.

She gave him a quizzical look. "He told you this?" she asked.

"I'm his brother, sometimes relationships are easier to talk to the older sibling than the father," Jasper chuckled.

Bella laughed a little, stuffing her hands in her jacket pocket. "What should I do?" she asked.

"Take it slow, like I told Edward. Just take it slow, get to know each other again, because believe it or not, he isn't the same person as you knew back then either. Vampire or not," he replied.

She nodded her head slowly. "Thanks Jasper," she answered.

"Anytime," he answered.

They were silent for a little while longer. "Alice put you up to this didn't she?" she asked smiling a little.

"It was either I had this conversation with you or I'll be at the mall everyday fort he next three weeks," he replied chuckling.

Bella laughed a little as they started walking back. "But I meant every word that I said though. Just take the relationship one step at a time, there is no need to rush anything," he pointed out. Bella nodded her head slowly as they walked back to the house.


	12. Difficulties

Chapter 12: Difficulties

Bella sighed as she was lying on her bed staring at her ceiling. She had her arm resting behind her head, her eyes closed. Thoughts were spinning around in her head about what was going on the last few days. After her talk with Jasper, she was began pondering about how she should take it slow with Edward. He was right, she wasn't the same Isabella he remembered back in 1862.

Sitting up, she moved her fingers through her hair as she sat back against the headboard of her bed. Getting up, she walked downstairs to get something to eat before getting started on her biology homework.

Standing in the kitchen, she started making herself a sandwich when there as a knock on her door. Walking over, she saw Jacob standing in the window and opened the door. "Hey…" she said slowly.

"Hey," he answered, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I hear you got your answers," he commented.

"What are you spying on me now?" she asked.

"No," he answered, "may I come in?"

"No I don't think that's a good idea," she replied.

Jacob stared at her quizzically. "What is he in there?" he asked.

"So what if he is?" she countered.

He growled a little stuffing his hands in his pockets. "He's one of them, he's dangerous," he told her.

"He is no more dangerous than you are," she answered.

"He kills to live!" he hissed.

"And you just kill," she answered.

Jacob glared at her. "We only kill vampires," he told her.

"That's still killing," she answered.

They sat in silence for awhile. "Why are you with him?" he asked.

"Why does it matter to you?" she answered.

"He's a vampire," he told her.

"I know what he is," she answered.

She walked out of the house, closing the door behind her. "You don't need to keep repeating to me what he is," she told him.

"What's going on?" a voice asked.

Bella looked up when Edward walked over from his car. "This isn't any of your business leech!" Jacob snapped. Edward stood next to Bella, his hand on her waist.

"You okay?" he asked.

"She's fine do you think I was going to hurt her?" Jacob snapped.

"Okay stop, if all three of us are going to get into this conversation let's move this from my house and from where my neighbors can see," she told them.

She walked off her porch and started walking towards the woods. She stopped, looking back at them. "Are you coming?" she asked. They both glared at each other before following her.

They walked through the trees before she finally stopped. "Okay, Jacob why are you here?" she asked.

"You just can't be serious with _him_," he snarled.

Edward glared at him. "Do you think she'd be with you?" he asked.

"I'm a safer choice," Jacob answered.

"A safer choice? Really? I saw Sam's fiancé's face," Edward told him.

Jacob growled, he was starting to shake a little. "At least I don't kill to live!" he snapped.

"We only kill animals! We are not monsters!" Edward answered.

"You are monsters! You bloodsucking leech!" Jacob snapped.

He glared at Edward. "You and that coven leader you call your father! Having the gull to impregnate a human and then turning her!" he snapped.

"You don't know a thing!" Edward answered.

Bella's eyes widened when she saw Edward's eyes go black. "My father is a good man!" he snapped.

"He's no different than the rest of you bloodsuckers, except he's the lowest kind because of what he did to his wife!" Jacob answered.

Before Bella could react, Edward suddenly shoved Jacob, making the boy fly backwards, hitting the ground. "NO!" Bella shouted when Jacob turned into his wolf form.

"Bella go," Edward told her.

Bella ran over and jumped between them. "JAKE DON'T!" she screamed. The wolf stopped and just growled, she could hear Edward hissing behind her. "BOTH OF YOU KNOCK IT OFF!" she shouted. They both stopped, but still glaring at each other. "You can't hurt each other without hurting me," she answered, letting out a deep breath. Swallowing hard, she felt Edward hold onto her arm.

"Bella you heard what he said about my father," Edward answered.

"I know what he said," she told him.

She looked at Jacob. "You had no right to say what you said about Carlisle. You don't know a thing about the Cullens," she told him.

"He's asking if you do Bella," Edward told her quietly.

Bella looked at the wolf in front of her. "More than you," she answered.

The three of them stood in silence for the longest time. "Jacob, go home, I brought you both out here to talk civilly not kill each other. Both of you go home," she told them. Jacob growled before running back to the reservation. Bella looked over at Edward.

"He insulted my father and you expected for me to just stand here and listen?" he asked.

Bella rested her hand on his chest. "You and I both know that what he said wasn't true. Your father is still a good man, no matter what," she answered. "And Esme is a wonderful woman." Edward closed his eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"He had no right to insult him, father almost died trying to save me," Edward growled.

"I know," she answered quietly.

She bit her lower lip. "Go hunt Edward, I'll talk to you later," she said quietly. Edward nodded before taking off into the trees.

After cleaning up the house, Bella went over to the Cullen house. Before she could even knock on the door, Alice opened it. "Edward's still hunting, he told us what happened," she commented pulling her in. She walked into the house, looking around.

"Is he okay?" she asked.

"Just angry, and it makes us all angry about what he said about father," Jasper answered, anger showing on his own face.

"Stupid mutt, I should pound his head to the ground!" Emmett snapped.

"I'll gladly help," Rosalie hissed.

Carlisle held his hands up. "Everyone calm down," he told them standing up from the couch. Annabelle and Esme were sitting on the couch, both silent. Except Bella could see the pain in Esme's eyes, if the woman could cry she would be. "We are already on a fine line with the Quileutes, we don't need to give them any kind of reason whatsoever that we are dangerous," he informed.

"How can you be so calm with what that beast said about you?" Rosalie demanded.

Carlisle was silent for awhile moving his fingers through his hair. "I'm not about to have some comment made by a sixteen-year-old boy throwing a fit break a treaty that has been in existence in the last few decades," he answered.

"It was an insult to Esme too because she was involved," Emmett told him.

Carlisle stood behind his wife and daughter, resting his hands on their shoulders. "Leave his insult as nothing more than that," he answered. He kissed the top of Esme's head before giving Annabelle a half-hug before straightening up again when Edward walked back in. "Are you calm now son?" he asked.

"Sure," Edward answered, moving his fingers through his hair while Carlisle walked over to him.

Bella saw the silent conversation between father and son, she saw Edward's face finally soften a little, nodding his head slowly. Carlisle patted his son's shoulder before going upstairs to his study. "Dad!" Annabelle called and Bella watched as she ran after the coven patriarch. Esme stood up, flattening the invisible wrinkles in her skirt.

"Bella, are you hungry? Can I get you anything?" she asked politely.

"Um…no I'm okay," Bella replied.

Edward walked over to Bella, standing in front of her in silence. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," he assured her.

He kissed her forehead gently. Bella sighed as she rested her head on his chest. "Your father is right you know," she commented.

"Yes well, the comment about how he's lower than any evil creature because Esme fell pregnant is a slap in the face to him, to Esme, and to Annabelle," he answered.

He rubbed her back gently, closing his eyes. "That mutt will never understand the kind of sacrifice father did for all of us," he muttered.

"I know," she answered.

Bella pulled back. "Carlisle knows that too, that is why he wants everyone to just calm down over his words, they are just that. Going after them will make you stoop to their level though," she said quietly.

"You're right," he said with a sigh.

He kissed her forehead gently. She smiled a little, resting her hands on his arms.

After spending the afternoon with the Cullens, Bella walked into the woods, just knowing Jacob was there. "Jake!" she called. She stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Jake I know you're there so you can stop spying one," she told him. Jacob jumped down from a tree.

"You send me away but you go to the Cullens?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied glaring.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Why did you have to say that about Carlisle?" she asked.

"It's the truth," Jacob answered.

"You basically insulted his wife and his child in one sentence how dare you!?" She snapped.

"Why do you defend them?" he asked.

"You don't know a thing about Carlisle! The fact he almost died saving his son from a vampire. He tried to save his wife and child and _succeeded_! He raised both Jasper and Edward on his own for years even before he was a vampire, so don't go insulting of how evil he is!" Bella snapped.

Jacob was silent. "And if you cared about me as much as you say you do, you wouldn't have said what you said," she told him. She glared at him before walking away.


	13. Feel my Heart

Chapter 13: Feel my Heart

Two weeks later and everything was calm again between vampire and werewolf, for now.

Bella was lying on her stomach looking at Edward with a smile as they were in their meadow. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

"Hmm us," she replied.

"Which us? The now us or the us back then?" he asked chuckling.

She laughed a little. "The now us," she replied. Edward reached over, holding her hand. Smiling, she entwined her fingers with his. She let out a gasp when he pulled her over so she was half laying on top of him.

"There that's better," he commented.

Bella shook her head lightly, resting her forehead against his. "You are such a different kind of human Bella," he said quietly.

"I'm never one to go with the crowd," she replied smiling.

Chuckling lightly, he moved his hand over her back. "By the way, someone wants to hang out with you today," he informed. She couldn't help but groan a little.

"Alice?" she asked.

"Actually this time it would be my little sister," he replied.

She sat up slightly. "Really?" she asked curiously.

"Well since you have either been forced to shop with Alice or you're with me, Annabelle would really like a turn to get to know you," he answered.

"What am I some kind of toy now?" she asked laughing.

Edward laughed a little. "Yes you are our toy now we actually have a waiting list of who gets you next," he teased. Rolling her eyes, she sat up.

"Where does she plan on dragging me?" she asked.

"Actually, she would like to go to a bookstore with you. Unlike Rosalie and Alice, she inherited father's studios side," he replied.

Bella smiled a little. "I'm sure you'll have fun getting to know that little sister of mine," he commented.

"I like her already, no more clothes shopping," she answered.

Chuckling once more, he kissed her forehead before they got up from the ground and went back to the Cullen house.

****

(Port Angeles)

Bella was walking around the bookstore with Annabelle. "So you're the book reader of the family?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, I usually sneak into dad's office and steal one of his medical books," Annabelle replied smiling.

"So…what's do different about being…you know half and half?" Bella asked quietly.

Annabelle gestured for her to wait as they walked over to the counter, paying for the books they were buying.

After walking out of the bookstore, the two girls started walking down the streets quietly for a few minutes. "Well…one thing I can eat either human food or blood, some days I like the animal blood, but mom's cooking is good too," she quipped lightly. Bella laughed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I also sleep, but I grew up really fast. By the time I was seven I looked and acted like I was seventeen," she explained.

"Wow…" Bella murmured.

She cleared her throat a little. "I am sorry about what Jake said about your dad…" she started.

"Well, we all know my dad is a good man, a great husband, and a loving father, we all love him," Annabelle answered.

"I remember back in the other lifetime…still weird for me to say that…he as still a great father then too. Taking care of Jasper and Edward the best that he could," Bella answered.

Annabelle smiled. "You know for as long as I remember, Edward always spoke of Isabella…er…you a lot," she commented.

"He did?" Bella asked curiously.

"Well mostly to me," Annabelle replied.

"Well…what would he say?" she asked.

Annabelle shrugged. "Just a lot of stuff about how you two grew up together, how he always imagined that he'd one day marry you, always protected you before the murder," she replied.

"Did he…" Bella started.

"He wouldn't talk about how he found you…he'd just say how he failed you and he'd never forgive himself," she explained.

Bella nodded her head slowly as they continued walking through the town.

Back at the Cullen house, Edward was walking down the hall when he saw his father sitting in his study. He was leaning back in his chair pinching the bridge of his nose. "Father?" he called knocking on the door lightly.

Snapping out of his daze, Carlisle cleared his throat. "Yes, Edward, everything alright?" he asked as he straightened the files on his desk.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked.

His father's thoughts entered his mind, making him sigh and pull up a chair. "I'm alright son," Carlisle assured him.

"Really? So…what that mutt…" Edward started.

"Edward stop saying names it doesn't make you any better than him," Carlisle scolded lightly.

He closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath. "So what…_Jacob_…said really didn't bother you?" he asked.

"I'd be a liar if I said it didn't. It's not because it's about me, no, it's because the insult also went towards Esme and Annabelle," Carlisle replied.

Edward sighed, moving his fingers through his hair. "Edward, mind if I had a moment alone with your father?" Esme asked behind her stepson. Edward stood up from his chair.

"Of course not, mother," he answered.

He kissed her cheek softly with a smile before closing the study door behind him as he left. Walking downstairs, he smiled a little to find Bella and Annabelle walking through the door. "Have fun?" he asked.

"Actually yea," she replied.

Annabelle held up a book. "Is dad in his office? I wanted to give him this," she told him.

"Yeah, but mother's in there too," he answered.

"Ah, then I won't bother them," she commented before going up to her room.

Chuckling lightly, he looked back at Bella. "Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, she just has an easier way of reminding him how important he is to this family…without the disgusting images appearing in my head," he replied.

Laughing a little, Edward held her hand. "Come on," he told her as they left the house.

Walking through the forest, Bella stuffed her hands in her jacket. "Edward, you shouldn't have blamed yourself for all these years over the murder, it wasn't your fault," she murmured. Sighing, he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"It is easier said than done," he said quietly.

He kissed the top of her head. "It wasn't your fault. Either way…my time was up then…at any given moment my time could be up now. You're just messing around with fate," she answered. Edward chuckled lightly.

"I won't let anything happen this time around," he answered.

Edward purposely fell back on the ground, making Bella shriek as she fell back on him. She turned over so she was lying on top of him. "Edward, you can't protect me from everything," she said quietly.

"I'll try," he answered.

She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "You couldn't save me then…" she started.

"I could've, but I was foolish then," he answered.

"No, you couldn't, you can only do so much," she said quietly.

He let out an unneeded breath as he looked into her eyes. "Bella, as long as I am alive…if that is what you call this, I won't let anything happen to you," he said quietly.

"Edward then what happens if I suddenly die in a tragic accident and you weren't able to save me, what would you do?" she asked.

The vampire was silent for a few minutes before he answered, "I'd go to Italy and provoke the Volturi." She stared at him quizzically. "The Volturi are the closest thing my world has to royalty, they enforce the law," he explained.

"You'd make them kill you?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied staring at the sky.

Bella suddenly sat up, placing her hands on his face. "You will do no such thing!" she hissed.

"I can't live in a world where you don't exist again, Bella," he said quietly.

She stared into his eyes. "You will not go to the Volturi if anything were to happen to me again. Stop talking that way because if anything happens, the last thing I would want is you to let them kill you," she answered. Edward sat up, his hands on her waist.

"Let's not talk about it, you're here, I'm here, that's all that matters now," he said quietly, resting his forehead against hers.

Bella reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her forehead softly, letting out another unneeded breath as they sat on the forest floor in silence.


	14. Giving you my Soul

Chapter 14: Giving you My Soul

Bella sighed as she walked into the kitchen to find her dad sitting at the table drinking his coffee, reading the paper. "Any plans today Bells?" he asked.

"Not today really," she replied.

She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she poured herself some cereal before sitting at the table with her dad. Looking out the window, she saw Edward's Volvo sitting outside. "Actually…dad…I have a date with Edward Cullen today," she informed. Charlie put his paper down.

"He's a little old for you isn't he?" he asked.

Bella stopped at what she was saying first. "No, he's seventeen and so am I," she replied.

"Sorry must be thinking of the other Cullen brother," Charlie commented.

"So…is that okay if I go on this date with him?" Bella asked.

"I'd like to meet him first," Charlie informed.

She got up from the table. "He's actually waiting outside to meet you," she replied. Biting her lower lip, she hurried over to the door to see Edward there.

"Hey, ready?" he asked.

"My dad wants to meet you," she replied holding onto his hand.

Edward cleared his throat before giving her hand a gentle squeeze, walking into the house. "Chief Swan, I wanted to formally introduce myself, I'm Edward," he informed holding out his hand. Charlie shook his hand.

"Hello Edward," he answered.

"I'll take good care of Bella, we're just going to head into Port Angeles today," he informed.

Edward had to fight a smirk at the comments floating in Charlie's head about him standing there with his daughter. "As long as she's back before midnight and drive carefully," Charlie instructed.

"She's in safe hands I promise," Edward answered.

Bella smiled as she grabbed her bag while Edward grabbed her jacket from the hook, holding it up so he could help her put it on. He had to fight every urge to wrap his arms around her and breathe in her intoxicating scent. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

Edward held onto her hand as they walked from the house. "So we're really going to Port Angeles?" she asked.

"No that's just a story I told your father," he replied.

"So…where are we really going?" she asked.

"Our usual spot," he replied.

He took her bag and put it in the back of his car before opening the door for her. Laughing a little, she got into the car before he walked casually to his side of the car. As soon as Charlie wasn't looking, he started his car off and sped off down the street. "Your father is a protective man when he's not showing it," he chuckled lightly.

"What are you doing reading my father's head?" she asked.

"Was just curious love," he replied.

Laughing, Bella sat back in her seat, watching as the trees were flying by the car in a blur.

When they finally arrived at their meadow, Edward sat down, pulling Bella into his lap. She shrieked before she started laughing. "What were you planning something interesting?" he asked.

"Mmm not really," she replied.

Edward smiled, resting his forehead against the side of her head. "I love you," he said quietly. Bella looked at him and smiled, resting her hand against his chest.

"I love you," she answered.

He rested his forehead to hers again, letting out a sigh. "I'm waiting for all of this to disappear yet," he said quietly.

"Well it won't," she answered.

She moved her fingers over his jaw. "This won't disappear, neither will I," she said quietly.

"Good," he murmured.

He leaned forward, kissing her gently. Bella kissed him back, closing her eyes as she felt the tingling running up and down her spine. Edward smiled softly as they lied down on the ground together, looking at each other. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

"Still about us," she replied.

She entwined her fingers with his. Edward smiled as he kissed her knuckles tenderly. "What about us?" he asked.

"You said you don't want to lose me," she commented.

"No," he answered.

He gave her a quizzical look. "What about what I said?" he queried. She sat up a little, looking at him.

"I've been thinking about this for the last few days," she murmured.

Edward sat up, staring at her still confused of what she was talking about. "Edward…I want you to change me," she said quietly. The smile on his face disappeared and his eyes turned hard.

"No," he answered.

Staring at him in shock, she crossed her legs in front of her. "But…why?" she asked.

"This is a curse, not a gift," he replied quietly.

"Edward…" she started.

He shook his head slowly. "I'm not ending your life," he said quietly.

"You don't want to lose me," she answered.

"And I won't," he murmured.

"But I'll die of old age eventually," she answered.

Nodding his head slowly, he moved his fingers through his hair. "That is what I planned on," he replied.

"You're confusing me," she replied.

Her mind drifted back over to the conversation they had a month ago and her heart dropped. "No! I won't have you kill yourself because of me!" she exclaimed standing up.

"I won't turn you," he answered.

"I want to be with you," she told him.

"Then be with me," he answered.

"Forever!"

"We will be together forever."

"That's not what I mean!"

Edward sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm not turning you into a vampire," he insisted.

"You're not being fair," she answered.

"I'm not stealing your soul," he hissed.

"I'm giving it to you!" she exclaimed.

The vampire hissed backing up. "I won't do it Bella," he growled.

"Why don't you want to be with me?" she asked.

"My God Bella that isn't what I said at all!" he exclaimed.

"I'm giving you my soul and you're denying it!"

"I'm a monster this is a curse, I will not have you become a monster like me!"

Both human and vampire stood there completely silent staring at each other. "Bella, I want to be with you, I'll be with you for eternity one day, just…not this kind of eternity," he told her. She stared at him, making him see that she had no plans of changing her mind. "So stubborn," he sighed.

"And so are you," she answered.

"This conversation ends here Bella, I won't turn you," he told her.

Bella bit her lower lip as he grabbed her hand and they started walking back home. "This conversation isn't over yet," she answered. He let out an unneeded breath before pulling her onto his back and started running through the forest back to her house.


	15. Darkness

Chapter 15: Darkness

For the last few days, Bella and Edward hardly said a word to each other, because lately whenever they started talking, they only started arguing about Edward turning Bella into a vampire.

Bella sat in the living room with a frustrated sigh, moving her fingers through her hair. "Hi Bella," Alice greeted, sitting next to her friend.

"Hi, Alice," she answered glumly.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked.

Bella shrugged. "I'm just frustrated with Edward," she replied.

"About the whole changing thing?" Alice asked.

"Yeah," Bella replied.

Alice sighed sitting back. "Alice, was it Jasper who turned you?" she asked curiously. The petite vampire bit her lower lip.

"Actually, it was my doctor at the insane asylum who turned me," she replied.

Bella gave her a quizzical look. "I lived in a time that if you ever mentioned that you had visions, you would be put there. But I don't remember anything other than that. The venom from the transformation kind of wiped my memories of my human life clean," she explained. Sighing, Alice moved her fingers through her short hair. "I woke up a vampire and there was my name on the front of my shirt, so all I knew was my name and I was a vampire," she added.

"So…how did you meet Jasper?" Bella queried.

Jasper was suddenly behind his wife. "We met in a diner," he replied kissing the side of his wife's head. Alice smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. Bella watched them for a minute before getting up and leaving them alone, feeling like she was intruding on a moment.

Walking outside, Bella stuck her hands in her pockets as she started walking through the woods. "Hey Bells," a voice called above her. Before she could react, Emmett jumped down in front of her, startling her. He grabbed her arm, laughing when she almost fell to the ground. "Clumsy," he teased.

"You shouldn't scare people," she answered.

Emmett shrugged a little. "I called your name," he told her. She rolled her eyes. "You and Eddie still fighting?" he asked.

"And what if we were?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Just making conversation," he replied. She laughed a little, Emmett was like the older brother she never had.

"Emmett, if you were in the same position as Edward would you be in the same argument?" she asked.

The bear-like vampire was quiet, rubbing the back of his neck. "Actually…that's more of a question for Rosie, not me," he answered.

"What…" she started.

Emmett sighed as they sat down on the ground. "Rosalie saved my life, she doesn't call this a life but I do, just a different kind of life. She saved me from being mauled by a grizzly back in 1935, I was twenty at the time, just went for a hike that went really bad. She begged Carlisle to save me, I don't remember much, just the bear and this beautiful angel that saved me," he explained. She bit her lower lip as she picked at the grass.

"So…do you think Edward is right about not turning me?" she asked.

"Honestly? Eddie has his reasons, I don't make his choices because he always hated what he is, well most of this family hate what they are," he replied.

"What about you?" she asked.

Emmett laughed. "Bells, vampire or human, I'm going to have fun. Thing is about this vampire thing, I can have fun forever," he replied laughing. Bella laughed, shaking her head slowly.

"I hate it when we fight," she said quietly.

Emmett got up from the ground and pulled Bella up. She let out a small gasp in surprise when he gently wrapped his arms around her in a hug. The young woman stood stiff for awhile before she reached up hugging him back, laughing when he easily lifted her up off the ground. "If it were me, I'd turn ya, only because you want to be turned and you're asking for it," he told her.

"Thanks," she answered before he let out go.

He looked over toward the house and his smile faded a little. "We're being watched," he commented before walking away to find Rosalie. Bella looked up to where Emmet was looking to see Edward walking over.

"Have a nice talk with Emmett?" he asked.

"He was just being a big brother," she answered.

Edward sighed, moving his fingers through his hair. "I hate it when we fight," he whispered quietly.

"I don't like it when we fight either, but if you…" she started.

His hand reached up, resting two fingers against her lips to silence her. "Can we please…just give this talk a rest for awhile? Please?" he asked. Sighing, she nodded her head slowly.

"For now," she replied.

Carefully he wrapped his arms around her in a hug. Bella hugged him back, closing her eyes tight. "I've missed not being around you these last few days," he said quietly.

"I missed not being around you," she answered.

He buried his face into her hair, taking in her scent, his eyes sliding closed. "I love you, so much," he whispered.

"I love you too," she answered.

Feeling the cool, but soothing circles being rubbed into her lower back, she closed her eyes, relaxing against him. She still wanted to be turned into a vampire, but she was just sick of fighting with Edward about it right now. He wasn't going to give in and neither was she, except all they wanted right now was to be together.

After awhile, they moved back into the house. "Edward, dad wants to talk to you," Jasper informed. Kissing Bella's cheek, Edward smiled at her before going upstairs to Carlisle's office. The young human looked over at Alice with curious eyes.

"What?" Alice asked, noticing the look.

"Alice…can you…look into my future?" She asked curiously.

The pixie-like vampire crossed her arms over her chest, furrowing her brow. "What is it?" she asked a little concerned.

"No it's nothing bad I promise," Bella reassured her.

Relaxing a little, a small smile appeared on her face. "What is it?" she repeated, still quite curious.

"Can you…see if I'm going to be like one of you?" Bella asked quietly.

Alice let out an unneeded breath as she began tapping into her visions. Bella waited patiently when Jasper was suddenly by his wife's side with concern written all over his face. "Alice, what is it, what do you see?" he asked quietly.

"I…I…" Alice stuttered lightly.

"What? What's wrong?" Bella asked walking closer to Alice, holding onto her hands.

She started shaking her head slowly. "I…I don't see anything, nothing," she replied.

"You mean you can't look that far?" Bella questioned curiously.

"No, I mean I see nothing. Her future is dark!" Alice exclaimed.

Edward had just walked back down the stairs when he heard Alice exclaim, "Her future is dark!". Hurrying down the stairs, he walked over to Bella, holding her hand.

"What do you mean Bella's future is dark?" he asked.

"I don't know, I tried to look but it's dark, I can't see anything," Alice replied panic filling her voice.

Jasper suddenly hissed, his eyes pointing toward Edward. "Don't get angry at her, she can't help it!" he hissed.

"Look harder," Edward demanded.

"I'm trying Edward," her voice shaking.

"You can't just say that her future is dark! You were able to see her future before!" he exclaimed angrily.

The older Cullen sibling grabbed a hold of Alice's arm, pulling her behind him. "Edward, just walk away now," Carlisle ordered.

"Not until Alice keeps searching," Edward answered.

"Edward!" Carlisle snapped, shocking everyone in the house.

The Cullen patriarch grabbed a hold of Edward's arm, pulling him back. "Leave Alice alone, now," he ordered. Jasper was still in the crouching position with Alice standing behind him. Bella looked at her friend's expression, seeing the veil of unshed tears over her eyes.

"You will not speak to my wife that way!" Jasper snapped angrily.

Edward hissed before leaving the house. Bella was standing there stunned, unsure of what to do. "Alice…I'm sorry I didn't mean…" Bella started.

"It wasn't your fault, Edward just needs to learn that Alice can't help what she can and can't see," Jasper answered.

He stood straight again before looking at Alice. They looked into each other's eyes, having a conversation without words. Jasper kissed her forehead lightly before leaving. "What does it mean when someone's future is dark?" Bella asked quietly. Alice let out an unneeded breath.

"Dark is usually not good Bella, it can mean so many things, but most of the time it's not a good sign," Alice explained quietly.

"What does it mean a lot of the time?" Bella pushed to know the answer.

She was quiet for a few minutes before answering, "It usually means death."


	16. Think Twice

Chapter 16: Think Twice

Edward was sitting in the middle of his meadow with his head in his hands as he tried to calm himself. He felt guilty for snapping at Alice and seeing the deadly look in his brother's eyes sent shivers up and down his spine. Letting out an unneeded breath, he stood up and slowly walked back home.

As he took his human paced walk through the forest, his mind drifted to what Alice had told him and showed him. Bella's future being dark was a dagger through his already dead heart. He knew what the darkness usually meant, it meant death. He didn't want to lose his Bella again, not after the pain he went through losing her the first time.

When he arrived home, he saw Carlisle sitting outside, waiting for him. "Is Jasper still angry?" he asked.

"No, he's alright now. He and the rest of the family had gone on a hunt," Carlisle replied sitting up straighter in his chair.

Wincing a little, he sat down across from his father, knowing that was his way of saying 'We need to talk son'. "You had no right to speak to Alice like you did," Carlisle informed.

"I know, and I will apologize to her when she comes back from the hunt," Edward replied.

Nodding his head slowly, Edward lifted his eyes towards his father seeing the concerned, fatherly expression on Carlisle's face and read the question in his mind. "If she dies, I will go through what I had planned on doing before. I won't live in a world where Bella doesn't exist," he informed.

"If it is death that Alice is foreseeing, do you think that's what Bella wants?" Carlisle asked.

Closing his mouth, the brick laid patio suddenly becoming more interesting to him. "You know that's not what Bella would want if she is dies," he pointed out.

"Father I can't live without Bella, don't you see?" Edward asked.

"I will not lose my son," Carlisle answered.

"You will lose him if she dies," Edward said hissing a little.

Letting out an unneeded breath, he stood up from his chair. "You can't stop me from going to the Volturi if Bella dies," Edward told his father, standing up.

"No, I can't, but also think of this Edward. If you were to kill yourself over Bella's death, what do you think that will do to the family?" Carlisle asked softly, but seriously.

Carlisle's son remained quiet as he went inside, going upstairs to his office.

Edward was sitting in his room when he heard the rest of the family arrive home. Getting up from his couch, he hurried out of his room, seeing Alice and Jasper talking quietly in the living room. "Alice," he called walking down the stairs. Alice looked up and Jasper moved to stand in front of her again with glaring eyes. "It's alright brother, I won't yell at her again," he assured him. Jasper remained silent as he held onto Alice's hand.

"It's okay Jasper," Alice said quietly, kissing the back of her husband's hand.

Jasper let out an unneeded breath. "I'll be in the library," he told his wife, kissing the top of her head before leaving the living room. Alice put her hands in the pockets of her sweater, looking at her brother-in-law.

"What is it Edward?" she asked quietly.

"I wanted to apologize," he replied.

She nodded her head slowly. "I didn't mean to snap and be cruel to you Alice, I just…" he started.

"I understand…but you have to remember that I can't see everything. I don't know why Bella's future is dark," she replied quietly.

Her lower lip began to tremble as she sat down. "Can I tell you something dear brother?" she asked in a whisper. Concern filled his eyes as he sat across from her.

"Of course," he replied.

He could suddenly see fear in her eyes as she reached over, holding his hand. "I tried once again to see Bella's future. I was doing everything I could think of but I couldn't see. I looked into your future too and it was dark," she whispered.

"It's because I told father that if Bella died I'd die too," he replied.

"Yes but I would see you going to Volterra and provoke the Volturi at least," she said quietly.

Suddenly not understanding, he stared at her with his eyebrows knitted together in confusing. "Edward, look," she told him. She started sending her visions over to him. Edward sat in silence as he saw images of all the members of their family, they all had something in common, even Alice's future, they were dark.

"They're all incomplete visions," he said quietly.

"They're all dark, I don't understand how it's everyone," she answered fearfully.

"Did you tell Jasper?" Edward asked.

"Yes, because he could feel my fear. You know Jasper when it comes to me, as soon as he felt my fear he talked me into telling him," she replied quietly.

She rubbed her hands together. "This scares me Edward, never have my visions go dark all at the same time with everyone. I don't understand why it's happening," she whispered.

"If the darkness means like it has meant in the past…it would mean…" he started.

Alice nodded and a dry sob escaped her lips. Edward reached out, hugging her like a brother would hug his sister. She hugged him back, closing her eyes tight. "We'll all have to keep our guards up. Either we're all going to die or someone has the ability to block your visions and we only know Alec of the Volturi is the only one with that ability," he commented.

"Why would the Volturi come after us? They don't know about Bella," Jasper said quietly as he walked into the living room.

He sat next to Alice, wrapping his arm around her once the two of them pulled away from their embrace. "I don't know…someone knows about Alice's visions and knows how to block them, but I can see how they would block it from Bella, but why the rest of us?" Edward questioned more to himself than to his brother and sister-in-law.

"I agree, why would this being come after all of us let alone Bella?" Jasper asked quietly.

"Not unless we break the treaty in some way we already know that the wolves also block her visions, but Bella is still human during the last vision Alice had," Edward answered.

"Right so it wouldn't make sense why the wolves would come after us," Jasper agreed.

"Maybe we should tell the others," Alice suggested.

Edward shook his head in disagreement. "Why worry the whole family yet I we don't even know what's going on?" he questioned.

"They all deserve to know too," Alice replied quietly.

"Alice is right, father and mother deserve to know, as well as Annabelle, Rosalie, and Emmett," Jasper agreed.

"We should know what?" Carlisle asked walking down the stairs.

The three of them stood up, looking towards their father. "We need you to call the whole family together, Alice has something important to say," Jasper informed. Seeing the seriousness in his children's faces, he called for the rest of the family to meet them in the living room.

One the family was assembled in the room, Alice was standing in the middle, explaining to the whole family of her incomplete visions. One she was done, the first one to speak was Rosalie, "So we might all die because of Edward's human?". Emmett nudged his wife a little.

"Rosalie," Esme scolded lightly.

"No I don't see why we have to put our lives on the line for a human," Rosalie answered angrily.

Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose before speaking, "Rosalie, Bella is part of this family now. She has always been part of this family, and we protect our family." The blonde vampire remained quiet, but was still glaring at Edward.

"Dad…what could this mean? Do the Volturi know about Bella?" Annabelle asked.

"No, otherwise I would've received some kind of word from Aro already," Carlisle replied.

Esme held onto her husband's hand. "What could it mean?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he replied.

He looked at his wife and children before speaking again, "Until we know what this threat is, we all keep our guards up. We also don't leave Bella or her father alone. In some shape or form we keep an eye on them." They nodded in agreement before Edward got up and ran to Bella's house.

When he arrived at Bella's house, he climbed the tree outside her house, climbing through the window. Bella was awake and waiting for him. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied sitting on the edge of her bed.

He looked towards the door. "Don't worry Charlie's asleep," she assured him. Nodding his head slowly, he reached over and held her hand in his. "Edward what's happening?" she asked.

"We don't know, there is a new threat. One who knows how to block Alice's visions," he replied.

Swallowing hard, she moved closer to him. "You and your father are safe, I won't let anything happen to either of you," he said quietly, pulling her into his embrace. Bella closed her eyes, resting her head on his chest. "I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered.

"I believe you," she answered.

He kissed the top of her head, closing his eyes as she fell asleep in his arms. Looking out the window, he waited to see any sort of sign that their new threat was around. There was no way he was going to lose Bella again, not this time.


	17. The First Attack

Chapter 17: The First Attack

The next month everyone was walking on eggshells around each other, their guards were up constantly. Edward never left Bella's side, except for when he had to hunt, but then someone else from the family was there watching over her and Charlie.

One day, Bella was over at the Cullen house when she could hear thunder in the distance. "We should play today," Alice announced standing up.

"I don't think now is a time t play," Edward muttered.

Alice pouted a little. "Come on you guys, we haven't had a time to actually have fun since all this has happened. Charlie's not even in Forks right now right Bella?" Alice asked her friend.

"No he's actually in La Push with the Blacks for the weekend," Bella replied.

"See? The wolves will watch him like they promised," Alice insisted.

"I don't know," Edward answered, his arm around Bella.

Carlisle stood up. "Alice is right, we should take some time out and have some fun at least," he told his family. Alice was grinning from ear to ear.

"Play what?" Bella asked as every went into their rooms.

"Baseball of course!" Alice replied as if it were the most obvious answer.

Bella looked at Edward as he walked over to her. "Vampires play baseball?" she asked curiously.

"Well it is America's past time and there's a thunderstorm so it's the only time we get to play," he replied.

He placed his hand in the middle of her back as they went out to the cars.

The family pulled up at an open field, getting out of their cars to get the field set up. "Why don't you come over by me and watch the rest?" Esme asked smiling.

"She thinks we cheat," Emmett told Bella.  
"I know you cheat," Esme answered.

Bella laughed a little as she stood next to Esme. "So…how exactly did you and Carlisle meet?" Bella asked curiously. Esme glanced over at her husband with a smile. Carlisle smiled back before picking up one of the bats they brought.

"We met when Esme was sixteen, she was a mischievous young woman, climbing up trees on a dare," Carlisle commented.

Esme laughed a little as she watched Rosalie swing the bat. "I thought it was just going to be one of my usual patients, put the bone back into place, put it in a cast, and then send her on her way. Except, the more she came back for checkups, the more I fell in love with her," Carlisle explained as he stood next to his wife.

"So…what happened?" Bella asked.

They were both quiet for a minute. "It didn't take long for me to realize I had fallen in love with this beautiful young woman, but I didn't want to chance to have her feelings attached to me, she deserved a human life, so I transferred her to another doctor and I left," he explained.

"I did marry…but he was a cruel man, abusive. When I fell pregnant, I ran away," Esme answered.

Bella watched as Carlisle was standing behind his wife, his arms wrapped protectively around Esme's waist. Esme leaned back against Carlisle's chest, her hands moving over his. "I gave birth to a son…but he died a few days later," she said quietly, sadly. Bella bit her lower lip.

"Esme I'm so sorry," Bella answered.

Esme sighed, entwining her fingers with Carlisle's. "Well…I found Esme standing on the cliff about to jump. I never forgot her, how could I? She was the woman I loved and she was going to kill herself. I called to her and she turned back at me, telling me not to come any closer that she would jump. I think we stood there for hours just staring at each other," he commented.

"Before I collapsed in tears ad Carlisle was there to comfort me," Esme said quietly.

Carlisle kissed his wife's neck with a grin. "Your turn to bat darling," she told her husband. Chuckling, he kissed her briefly before picking up the bat.

"So…you were human when Annabelle was born?" Bella asked.

Esme looked over at her daughter with adoring eyes, laughing lightly as she and Emmett started picking on each other. "Yes I was, but her birth was the most difficult because they weren't sure how to take care of me while my stomach grew so fast and I grew so weak. The day she was born…was the day Carlisle turned me," she explained. Bella bit her lower lip when they both looked up as Emmett grabbed a hold of Annabelle, throwing her over his shoulder.

"Emmett!" Annabelle exclaimed hitting his shoulder.

"Emmett be nice to your sister," Esme called to her son.

"I am being nice," Emmett answered with a grin.

Rolling their eyes, both Esme and Bella started laughing. Carlisle hit the ball and started running. "I got it!" Annabelle called going after the ball.

"Go sis!" Emmett called grinning.

Carlisle ran through all the bases before Annabelle came back.

After awhile, Esme stood up from her crouching position, worry showing on her face. "Where's Annabelle? She should've been back by now," she told her husband.

"You're right," he answered.

Edward looked over to see that his father was running over to them. "Go find your sister," he told Edward and Jasper.

"Alright," they answered going into the forest.

Edward caught a hold of Annabelle's scent. "She went this way Jazz," he called to his brother. Jasper ran after his brother as they went searching for their sister. They found the baseball, but no Annabelle. "Where did she go…" Edward started.

"Edward," Jasper called.

He squatted down and touched a lift, lifting it up, his eyes turning black. "Blood," he informed standing back up. Edward lifted his head, sniffing. He caught Annabelle's scent and an unfamiliar scent.

"Someone took her, they went this way," Edward answered as they started running through the forest to find their sister.

They came to a stop when there was rustling in the bushes. "Who's there?" Jasper called cautiously. Edward growled when Jacob emerged from the trees with a limp Annabelle in his arms.

"She's still alive," Jacob informed as he stood in front of the two vampires.

"Give her back," Edward ordered.

Jacob stood there in silence before he reluctantly placed Annabelle into Edward's arms. "What did you do to her?" Jasper hissed.

"Nothing but saved her life from the vampire that was going to try to kill her," Jacob replied.

Edward sat the cut on her head from where it was obvious she was hit with something. "If anything you should be thanking me for saving her life," Jacob put in.

"Where is this vampire?" Edward ordered.

"My pack chased him off," Jacob replied honestly.

Jasper sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I didn't let anything happen to her, I took a few attacks from that vamp to keep her safe," he added, both brothers noticing that his gaze was glued to their sister.

"Thank you…Jacob…for protecting and saving our sister," Edward told him slowly.

"You guys better keep your guards up, we do," Jacob informed before taking off into the trees.

Edward sighed as they ran back to the baseball field.

Esme was pacing nervously when Edward and Jasper came back. "Oh thank God!" She exclaimed, her voice cracking a little as she took her waking daughter into her arms.

"Mom…" Annabelle said quietly.

Bella hurried over to Edward. "What happened?" she asked.

"A vampire tried to kill her, but we should be a little grateful for Jacob because he and his pack are the ones that saved her," Edward replied.

"Edward, can you see who tried to take her?" Carlisle asked as he took care of the injury on his daughter's head.

Edward walked over, kneeling in front of his sister. Annabelle's eyes were glazed over, she was constantly drifting out of consciousness from the attack. "Annie who did this?" he asked quietly. She reached over, gripping her brother's hand as she wordlessly started sending him images from her attack.

_**Annabelle looked around and saw the ball on the ground. "Ha! Here you are," she said smiling. Squatting down to pick it up, someone stood in front of her.**_

_**"Well hello," a voice sneered.**_

_**She looked at the person in front of her, her eyes widening when she saw that it was a vampire.**_

_**He was tall with chin-length black hair that was pulled back in a short ponytail, deep red eyes, his skin as pale as hers. He was wearing boots, blue jeans, and a black t-shirt. "You know it's not safe to go into the woods alone," he commented. Before she could react, his fist collided with her head.**_

Edward fell backwards on the ground, staring at his sister in disbelief. "Are you sure that's what he looked like?" he asked.

"Yes…" she replied.

Bella placed her hands on his arm. "Edward what is it?" she asked.

"It's him, the son of a bitch that turned father and me and killed you! It's him!" Edward hissed angrily.


	18. Meaning of Fear

Chapter 18: The meaning of Fear

Bella was sitting in the living room with Annabelle, she was fully awake and aware now of what was going on. They were both listening to the argument going on upstairs. "I will not let anything happen to Bell again! I will die first before she dies on me again!" Edward exclaimed.

"I'm not going to lose my family over this!" Carlisle answered, anger showing in his voice.

"You have to let me go after him!" Edward insisted.

"No you're not going after him,"

"I'm not a child!"  
"You're my son!"

The house was quiet for a minute. "They're trying to argue in whispers now," Annabelle said quietly. Bella got up and snuck over by the study, knowing they were too distracted to notice she was listening.

"I haven't been a child for over a hundred years," Edward hissed.

"You are my flesh and blood and I'm not about to let you go out there and get yourself killed," Carlisle answered.

Edward let out a frustrated sigh. "I haven't been flesh and blood for over a century," he muttered.

"Dammit Edward you know what I mean!" Carlisle hissed.

The Cullen patriarch stared at his son. "You are my child, I created you, I raised you, I would give my life for this family and I will _not_ let you go out there and get yourself killed," he snapped quietly.

"You can't keep me here," Edward answered.

"Edward you don't know what he is capable of," Carlisle insisted.

"I'll take my chances," Edward answered.

Carlisle moved in vampire speed in front of the door before Edward could get to it. "Move out of my way," Edward ordered.

"No," he answered.

"Move father now or I will make you move," Edward hissed.

Carlisle stood there, a calm expression still showing on his face.

Bella backed up with a gasp when suddenly both vampires were stumbling out of the room. Carlisle was too fast for Edward, moving so his son was on the floor and pinned him there. "Let go!" Edward snapped.

"Not until you calm down and think rationally now," his father answered.

"He'll kill us all!" Edward hissed.

"We don't know that."

"He could have a whole coven of vampires just waiting to come after us!"

"And you'll risk going after him alone?"

"If it'll protect Bella from him!"

Carlisle made sure Edward was unable to move before he started speaking. "Son you are now sounding foolish," he told him.

"I'd rather be a fool than a coward," Edward answered.

"That is something you never have been and never will be Edward, listen to me before you try fighting me again!" Carlisle hissed.

The vengeful vampire calmed down a little, but Carlisle didn't move to let him go yet. "Edward, what you want to do is suicide not bravery. You have no ways of fighting, you hunt, that is not fighting. What would you do if there is twenty or thirty other vampires with him? If you die think of what that would do this family…if not the family Edward then think of what it'll do to Bella," he explained.

Bella was standing there with fear showing in her eye as she watched Carlisle try to reason with his son. "What you want to do is not only foolish but it is selfish too," he said quietly.

"How is wanting to protect Bella selfish?" Edward demanded.

"Wanting to protect her is not selfish, how you plan on doing this is selfish. Getting yourself killed to try to get revenge is selfish," Carlisle answered.

"You went after him," Edward answered.

"I was an angry father who was watching his son get the life sucked out of him literally."

Edward was sighed. "What I did wasn't a foolish sacrifice because I was protecting my child from death, what I did then is different than what you want to do now," Carlisle explained.

"I just want to protect her," Edward answered.

The Cullen patriarch let Edward go finally and stood up from the floor. "Then protect her Edward don't go looking to getting yourself killed," he told his son. Edward stood up from the floor. "Also keep in mind, son, you might not be a child, but I will always be your father and I would walk through the fires of Hell for you and for this family," Carlisle added before walking away.

Edward stood in silence, the entire house was silent except for the sound of Carlisle and Esme's bedroom door closing. He looked over at his mother and siblings. Esme stood up from the couch, her thoughts reaching his mind. Bella saw the pain in his face as Esme walked by him and upstairs to the bedroom to talk to Carlisle. Emmett stood up from the couch, holding Rosalie's hand. "All I have to say Edward, I might be the strongest of this family but even I'm not that hardheaded to try to pick a fight with Carlisle," he commented.

"Come on Emmett let's go hunt," Rosalie told her husband, pulling him out of the house.

Everyone else left the living room in silence, leaving only Edward and Bella. "Bella…" he started.

"Carlisle's right, getting yourself killed just to get revenge won't protect me," she told him.

She let out a deep breath. "And even so, I wouldn't let you go either. I'd use all my strength to keep you here with me," she added. Reaching over, she held his hand. "I just got you back too, do you think I want to imagine of what he could do to you?" she asked.

"I just wanted to do what's right," he answered.

"You are doing what's right, staying here with your family, with me. People who love you and this family will stand together against this vampire that has come after us time and time again. Even Jacob from the sounds of it is on your side for once, nothing will happen to me with all this protection," she said quietly.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose before looking at Bella. She could see the pain and fear in his eyes. "Bella, I don't want to lose you again," he said quietly. She reached up, stroking his face gently.

"You won't lose me again," she said quietly.

"He's dangerous," he answered.

"But I'm not afraid," she told him.

He held her hand in his, moving his thumb over her wrist. "No…but I'm afraid for you," he said quietly. He rested his forehead against hers.

"Edward, the only thing I'm afraid of is you disappearing," she whispered.

"That won't happen," he answered rubbing her arms gently.

She rested against his chest. "I promise, I will never leave you," he said quietly.

"I'll hold you to it," she said laughing a little.

Edward chuckled lightly, resting his hands on her waist. "Edward, promise me you won't go after him alone," she whispered. He was silent for a little while. "Promise me that you won't go after him alone Edward, I need you to say it," she insisted.

"I promise…I won't go after him alone," he whispered.

She rested her forehead against his cold, hard chest. "Thank you," she said quietly. He hugged her gently. "I still want you to turn me, it's the only way that he can't kill me like before," she murmured.

"Please…please don't ask me that," he whispered.

"But…" she started.

"Bella…please…tonight can we please not talk about that? I'm begging you please, just let hold you, love you, don't ask me to take your soul tonight," he whispered.

He rested his forehead to hers again, closing his eyes. "Can we just pretend that we are both human, together, like we were before," he said quietly. She nodded her head slowly. "Let's be Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, not Edward the vampire and Bella the human," he murmured. She closed her eyes, curling her hand into a fist against his chest as they stood in the living room in complete silence. "Stay tonight," he whispered.

"I wasn't planning on leaving," she answered.

Edward chuckled lightly, kissing the top of her head.

As night fell, Edward was sitting by the couch watching Bella sleep. He stroked a strand of hair from her face when she reached up and grabbed a hold of his hand. "Edward…" she murmured in her sleep. He chuckled lightly, kissing her knuckles and continued to keep an eye on her throughout the night. Sighing, he got up from the floor and made sure the windows and doors to his room were locked tight before leaving.

Walking down the dimly lit hall, he peeked into the study to see Carlisle sitting back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Father?" he called quietly. Carlisle looked up, sitting up in his chair again.

"Yes son," he answered.

"Mind if I come in?" Edward asked slowly.

"Of course," Carlisle replied.

Edward sighed as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Father, I wanted to talk about earlier," he informed.

"What about it?" Carlisle asked, standing up from his desk to return a book to it's shelf.

"I wanted to apologize for the way I acted towards you and about the situation," Edward replied.

Carlisle looked over at his son. "And I know you have sacrificed so much for this family and I am so sorry father," he said quietly. Edward looked at the floor when Carlisle walked over, resting his hand on the back of his shoulder.

"Son…I can understand how you reacted, if it were any of you children or Esme, I would be just as angry. You are my son, Edward, always. As angry as I get and as disappointed I get, you are still my child," he explained.

"I know," Edward answered.

Carlisle grabbed a hold of his son's arm and pulled him into a hug. Edward slowly hugged him back, letting out an unneeded breath. "We'll figure out this together, Edward, I promise," he reassured him.

"I know," Edward answered.

Bother father and son stayed silent for the longest time before they finally sat down and started talking over a plan of what they would do if the vampire would return.


	19. What is Fun

Chapter 19: What is Fun?

Morning rose, yet Carlisle and Edward still hadn't come up with a concrete plan of how to get rid of this vampire and his coven if he had one. Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a frustrated sigh before looking over at his son. "Edward when was the last time you hunted?" he asked curiously.

"Mm…it has been awhile," Edward admitted after a few minutes of pondering.

Chuckling lightly, Carlisle moved his fingers through his hair before getting up from his chair. "You should take Jasper and go for a hunt," he informed.

"Father, I don't need a babysitter," Edward answered.

"Would you rather Jasper start losing control of his thirst again?" Carlisle asked as he started cleaning up the mess on his desk.

Edward sighed. "Right…" he muttered before leaving the office.

Jasper was sitting in the living room, talking to Alice when Edward walked in. "Let's go for a hunt," Edward told his brother. Nodding, he kissed his wife's forehead before leaving with his brother.

"Where do you want to start today?" Jasper asked as they went outside.

"I feel like fighting a mountain lion, let's head toward the mountain areas," Edward replied.

Nodding, both brothers took off running into the forest.

Bella woke up a little while later to find that she was alone. Sitting up, she pushed her hair from her eyes when there was a knock on the door. "May I come in?" Annabelle asked.

"Yeah," Bella replied sitting up more.

Smiling, the youngest Cullen sat across from her, sitting Indian style on the couch. "Where's Edward?" Bella asked curiously.

"He and Jasper had gone on a hunt. They havent' hunted much since all of this started happening," Annabelle replied.

Nodding her head slowly, she let out a deep breath. "How are you doing with all of this?" Annabelle asked quietly.

"Depends…the vampire that killed me in my previous life is back. It makes me wonder that if he knows that I'm alive…again…if he'll try to kill me again," Bella replied.

She pulled her knee up to her chest, letting out a deep breath. "I also worry that Edward will still try to go after him and get himself killed," she added. Annabelle rested her hand on her friend's knee.

"Edward won't, not after you made him promise that he won't," Annabelle assured her.

"He's stubborn," she pointed out.

"But your love and trust in him is more important."

Biting her lower lip, Bella played with the moon ring on her index finger. "I just don't want that chance that I'll never see Edward again," she said quietly.

"Nothing will happen to him," Annabelle murmured.

"How do we know that? Alice can't see anything in anyone's future, whoever this is, he knows how to block her visions," Bella answered.

"Edward's strong, everyone in this family is strong and we're able to take care of ourselves," Annabelle insisted.

Sitting back against the couch, Bella closed her eyes for a second. "It won't make me worry about losing him," she answered. Annabelle sighed as she sat next to her friend and the two girls sat in silence for the longest time.

Their silence was broken when Alice bounced into the room. "Get up, get up, get up," she said excitedly.

"What do you have planned Alice?" Annabelle asked as the girls got up.  
"Prom is in three weeks, we're all going!" Alice announced grinning from ear to ear.

"Uh I don't think so," Bella answered.

Alice frowned. "And why not?" she demanded.

"I can't and don't dance," Bella replied.

"It's prom! You have to go to prom," the petite vampire insisted.

"No I don't," Bella answered.

"You do and you are," Alice informed.

Annabelle was laughing quietly to herself. "You're dragging me to prom too Alice? I have never gone to prom," she commented.

"We're all going, come on, we're going to Port Angeles today and going dress shopping," Alice insisted.

"You might as well say yes or she's going to follow you around asking you again and again," Rosalie informed from the doorway.

"This is just another way for Alice to go shopping," Bella commented.

"No shame in shopping," Alice answered beaming.

"We should just go and get out of the house at least Bells," Annabelle told her.

Sighing, Bella moved her fingers through her hair. "Alright fine," she muttered.

"Yay!" Alice exclaimed jumping a little before running out of the room.

"She is the Energizer Bunny, she just keeps going and going and going and going," Annabelle quipped.

"I heard that!" Alice called.

"I know!" Annabelle called back.

Bella laughed before she grabbed her clothes from her suitcase, going into the bathroom to shower and change. "I remember when I was younger, Alice would try to dress me in these frilly, pink dresses," Annabelle commented. Bella laughed as she brushed her hair.

"What happened with that?" she asked curiously.

"As much as mom and dad enjoyed having a little girl, they didn't want me dressed up like Little Bo Peep all the time," Annabelle replied.

Laughing some more, Bella walked out of the bathroom, grabbing her shoes from underneath the couch. "Those were tasteful dresses," Alice told her walking in.

"Alice, there's only so much frill you can put on a little girl," Annabelle answered.

"Well you guys always seem to ruin my fun in some shape or form," she whined.

"You sure you want to be part of this family?" Annabelle asked Bella.

"I don't know, you guys seem to make me second guess my choices," Bella quipped.

Alice sighed, tapping he foot on the floor. "Come on, come on, all the good dresses are going to be cleaned out," she insisted.

"Are you going to be dragging poor Jasper to the prom?" Annabelle asked.

"Jasper loves to dance with me," Alice replied beaming.

Bella tied her laces before standing up again. "Let's get this done," she told the girls.

"Yes, let's go," Alice insisted impatiently.

She grabbed her purse and practically shoved all the girls out of the house.

When they walked into the dress shop, Bella looked around at all the prom dresses hanging around the store. "Oh Bella wouldn't this be so pretty?" Alice asked, holding up a dress.

"Alice…where's the front to it? It's like…very low cut," Bella commented.

"Exactly," Alice replied raising her eyebrows with a grin.

"No, absolutely not," she insisted.

Sighing, Alice put the dress back on the rack. Bella looked over to see Annabelle looking at a pale purple, flowing dress that had a beaded empire waist, and spaghetti straps. "Bella what do you think?" Annabelle asked holding it up.

"That one's nice," she commented as she grabbed the skirt of the dress.

Annabelle smiled. "Purple is more your color than pink," Bella quipped. Biting her lower lip, Annabelle looked in the mirror, holding the dress up to herself. "What do you think you have a date?" Bella asked slowly.

"Maybe…" Annabelle replied slowly.

"Who?" she asked curiously.

A small smile appeared on the girl's face. "Well…you know him…" she replied slowly.

"There's a lot of human guys I know Annabelle," Bella pointed out.

"He's not really human," she answered.

Bella stared at her for a few more minutes before her mouth dropped. "Jake?!" she exclaimed in a whisper.

"Yeah, just don't say anything to anyone," she said quietly.

"But wait…how did…" Bella started.

"You remember that day when Jacob was saying those horrible things about dad?" Annabelle asked.

"Yeah."

"Well…I went to talk to him, I was angry so I was more going to yell at him than talk to him."

Annabelle cleared her throat as she looked in the mirror. "Well we kind of didn't yell at each other…Jacob kinda…" she trailed of.

"No! Jacob imprinted on you?!" Bella exclaimed in a whisper.

She nodded her head slowly, clearing her throat. "I've been seeing him for about a month now. I haven't said anything yet because I know how much him and my brothers can't stand each other," she explained quietly.

"Well I'm happy for you," Bella told her smiling.

Annabelle smiled back before looking back in the mirror. "So when did he ask you to prom?" Bella asked.

"Last week," she replied.

"Well that could explain why your future is dark when Alice tried to look in your future," Bella commented.

"Hey girls, I think we should get our hair done and everything the day of prom," Alice suggested walking up to them.

"Uh…sure…" Annabelle replied slowly.

Alice grinned before holding up a dress. "What do you think of this one Bella?" she asked. Bella looked at the dress she was holding up. "I think you'd look pretty in blue," she commented. Bella looked at the dress with a smile.

"I like it," she said quietly.

"Yeah?" Alice asked anxiously, jumping up and down.

She bit her lower lip smiling. "Yeah, I like it," Bella told her.

"Yay!" Alice said excitedly.

The petite vampire hugged her with a huge smile on her face. Bella hugged her back with a small smile on her face. "You won't regret prom I promise," Alice told her.

"We'll see," Bella answered laughing.

All three girls started laughing before buying their dresses.


	20. One Down

Chapter 20: One Down

Edward and Bella were sitting in their meadow, it was an unusually sunny day in Forks and Bella was just thankful that it was the weekend so she was able to actually enjoy the day with Edward. Edward was lying back on the ground, his eyes closed and the sun was reflecting off his skin. "I can feel you staring at me," he chuckled.

"Sorry," she answered.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, not opening his eyes.

Bella smiled as she moved, straddling his sides. "Just you and me," she answered, moving her hands over his chest.

"What about us?" he asked, smiling.

She moved so she was on top of him. "Do we really have to go to prom?" she asked pouting a little. He couldn't help but start laughing.

"Yes," he answered.

She sighed, resting her forehead against his throat. He wrapped his arms gently around her back, kissing her forehead. Just as Bella thought she could fall asleep right there on Edward's chest, her boyfriend suddenly sat up. "What, what is it?" she asked.

"Shh," he answered.

He set her down, pushing her behind him. "Edward what's going on?" she asked.

"Well, well, well, who would've thought little Isabella lived," a voice sneered.

Bella bit her lower lip when she saw the vampire come out from the trees. "Oh wait…that's right she didn't, but what a nice look alike," he commented. Before Edward could react, Bella let out a scream as two vampires grabbed her and three more grabbed a hold of him.

"Let her go!" Edward hissed as the vampires pinned him down.

Bella's eyes widened as the vampire stood above Edward. "I should take care of you now!" he growled. He bent down, grabbing a hold of Edward's head.

"NO PLEASE! PLEASE!" Bella screamed.

The vampire looked up, grinning at the young woman being held onto the vampires. "Kill me, please, not him," she begged.

"What a foolish girl," he sneered.

He walked over, moving his fingers through her hair. "Such a beautiful scent," he sneered.

"Get your hands off her!" Edward hissed.

He struggled hard against the vampires pinning him down. The vampire grinned as he leaned forward, burying his face into Bella's hair. "Mm delicious," he sneered. He chuckled when he turned back towards Edward. "Such a lucky man," he commented.

"Get away from her!" Edward hissed.

Before the vampire could react, something crashed into him, throwing him off his feet. "Jake!" Bella gasped with a small smile on her face. The russet colored wolf growled.

"A measly pup," the vampire laughed.

The three vampires holding Edward were thrown off him and Jasper pulled his brother up. "Let the girl go," Carlisle ordered. The vampire laughed, shaking his head slowly.

"Dr. Carlisle Cullen, should've known a daddy never leaves his kid," he sneered.

Jacob growled as he looked towards the two vampires holding onto Bella. "I'd suggest you let her go," Jasper hissed.

"What? Three vampires and a mutt?" The vampire laughed.

"Actually there are more of us, so it would be seven vampires, a half vampire, and ten werewolves," Carlisle answered.

The vampire was still laughing. "Just to amuse you," he commented. He nodded to the vampires who threw Bella to the ground. Edward ran over, helping her up. "We will meet again, oh and Jasper…is it?" he asked as his coven walked over to him. Jasper glared at him. "I believe your mate will be needing you," he commented. Jasper let out a growl and tried to lunge at the vampire.

"Jasper!" Carlisle hissed, grabbing a hold of his son.

"If you touch her that will be the last thing you ever do!" Jasper snapped.

He just continued laughing. "I won't touch her, have no need," he answered. He grinned at the group before he took off into the forest with his coven. Jasper got his father to let him go.

"Alice…" he said quietly before running back to the house.

Edward pulled Bella onto his back and ran back to the house.

When they got back to the house, the first thing Bella heard was screaming coming from inside the house. "What's going on?" Bella asked worriedly.

"I don't know," he replied.

Edward held onto her hand as they hurried inside. Jasper was on the floor holding a screaming Alice. The smaller vampire was holding onto her head screaming. "What's happening to her?!" Jasper exclaimed holding onto her.

"I don't know Jasper you have to calm her," Carlisle insisted.

"I can't!" Jasper answered.

Alice had her hands pressed hard against her head. "Make it stop!" she shrieked.

"Jasper just do something!" Carlisle snapped.

"Edward can you see what's going on?" Jasper asked.

Edward kneeled in front of his sister-in-law, trying to get into her head. He hissed in pain, pulling back almost immediately. "What? What is it?" Bella asked.

"There is like an extremely high pitched noise," Edward answered holding his own head.

Jasper had Alice lie back in his lap, pressing his hands to her head, closing his eyes tight. "That pain was worse than Jane's torture," Edward muttered, still holding his head. Alice's screams faded and she was holding onto Jasper's hands with a dry sob.

"What did he do to her?" Jasper hissed while concentrating on his ability.

Bella was kneeling by her friend, her hand resting on her arm. "It's obvious, he just took away the only one who can see what his plans are," Annabelle told them. Jasper hissed as he looked at his family.

"I want to kill the son of a bitch!" he hissed.

He lifted Alice up into his arms and ran upstairs to their room. Bella bit her lower lip. "Who is this guy?!" Emmett growled, his eyes black with anger.

"We don't know, but whatever he is, he has the power to basically take away any sort of ability," Carlisle replied.

"He took away Alice's visions, so we can't see what his next move is, and he also took away Jasper because you know he won't leave Alice," Esme answered.

"The bastard is smart," Emmett muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"We have to be careful with everything now. He knows our weaknesses," Carlisle told them, wrapping his arm around Esme.

Bella's eyes widened. "Edward my dad," she said quietly. She held onto his hands. "Edward you have to take me home to dad," she insisted. Edward held onto her hand as they hurried out of the house.

Arriving home, Bella saw Charlie's squad car sitting outside. Jumping out of the car, she ran up the steps, tripping and falling on the porch. "Bella wait!" Edward called.

"DAD!" She called running inside.

Throwing the door open, Bella looked around. "Dad!" she called again. Charlie woke up with a jump sitting up in his chair.

"I'm in here Bells," he told his daughter.

Seeing her dad standing in the living room, the young woman ran over, throwing her arms around him, knocking him off balance a little. "Whoa, easy kiddo," he told her hugging her. Edward was standing in the hall as Bella clung to him. "What's wrong Bells?" he asked letting her go.

"I thought something happened," she told him quietly.

"I was just watching the game Bella, I didn't go anywhere, who said something happened to me?" he asked.

"She just had a feeling, she just panicked and told me to take her home," Edward answered.

Bella swallowed hard, letting out a deep breath. "I'm alright kiddo, don't worry," he told her.

"I'll be back later, Bella, I have to talk to my father," Edward informed.

She nodded her head slowly and watched as he left. She hugged her dad again, closing her eyes tight.

Edward, instead of driving back to the Cullen house, he drove all the way to the treaty line. Getting out of his car, he looked around. "Alright Jacob I know you're here," he commented.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked walking over to him.

"That vampire is stripped away Alice's visions, torturing her at the same time, which means Jasper can't help us fight. He's going to go after all of the weaknesses in this family," he explained.

"Annabelle…" Jacob said quietly.

Edward gave the werewolf a quizzical look. "I need some of your wolves to watch over Bella's house," he informed.

"I'll have, Quil, Embry, and Paul watch out over there," Jacob answered.

"Good, everyone else will be protected," Edward informed.

Jacob nodded in agreement. "I'll be inside the Swan house watching over Bella," Edward informed.

"I'll be keeping an eye on Annabelle," Jacob answered.

"Why are you going to be watching my sister?" he asked.

"Your dad will be watching your mom, Emmett will be watching over Rosalie, Jasper will be watching over Alice, and you will be watching over Bella. Annabelle will be easily picked as the next target," Jacob replied.

Edward was about to object, but nodded his head slowly. "Right, I have to get back to Bella," he told the werewolf before opening the door to his car.

"I'll take care of Annie, Edward, I promise," Jacob told him before running off into the forest.

Once Jacob was out of his sight, Edward started up his car and drove off.

Arriving back at the house, Edward pulled his car into the forest before climbing out and running over to Bella's room. He climbed up the tree and went through her open window. "Quil, Embry, and Paul are on their way here," he informed.

"Good," she answered.

Edward sat next to her on the bed. "Are you alright love?" he asked quietly. She curled up against him, biting her lower lip.

"Edward I'm scared," she whispered.

She buried her face into his chest, swallowing hard. Edward held her close, kissing the top of her head. "I love you, I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered. She nodded her head slowly, closing her eyes. He rubbed her back gently, humming her lullaby. Bella smiled softly as she fell into a dreamless sleep.


	21. Feeling Protected

Chapter 21: Feeling Protected

Bella bit her lower lip as she sat in Alice and Jasper's room. Jasper was cradling Alice in his arms, humming softly. Alice was still whimpering softly, holding her head a little yet. "How is she Jasper?" she asked worriedly.

"As long as she doesn't try to see visions she's okay," Jasper replied stroking Alice's hair.

Watching them with a sad sigh, she watched as Jasper just pulled Alice closer to him if it were at all possible. "YOU WHAT?!" a voice shouted. Getting up, Bella ran out of the room to see what was going on. She gasped to see Emmett pinning Jacob to the wall.

"Emmett get off him!" Annabelle exclaimed trying to pull him off Jacob.

"You stay away from my little sister you mutt!" Emmett snapped.

"You can't keep her from me," Jacob answered.

"STOP!" Bella shouted trying to pull on Emmett too.

"I would never hurt Annabelle!" Jacob exclaimed.

"You called her a monster two months ago now all of a sudden you love her?!" Emmett exclaimed.

"He apologized for that Emmett please let him go," Annabelle begged.

He let Jacob go backing up. Rosalie ran over to her husband, holding onto his arm. "Leave me alone Rose," he told her.

"Emmett where are you going?" Carlisle called.

"Nowhere, thinking," he answered, pressing his hand against his forehead.

Edward glared at the werewolf. "You better take care of her," he said in a warning tone.

"I will I promise," Jacob answered holding onto Annabelle's hand.

Emmett let out an unneeded breath. "This is bigger than a stupid fight between werewolves and vampires," he commented. They nodded in agreement. He suddenly looked around. "Where's Rosie?" he asked.

"She went outside," Bella replied.

Emmett hurried outside to find his wife. "Rosie?!" he called again.

Alice let out a gasp, the vampire's hold on her visions disappeared. "He's torturing Rosalie! Get Emmett he's going after Rosalie!" she exclaimed running down the stairs.

"What's going on?" Bella asked.

"He's going after Rosalie!" she shrieked.

Emmett ran outside just as the pain rushed through Alice's head again.

Edward ran after Emmett when they found Rosalie on the ground screaming and crying dry sobs. "Please, please, please," she begged.

"Edward what's going on with her?" Emmett demanded as he tried to pick his wife up.  
"NO!" she screamed trying to fight him off.

"Baby it's me, Emmett," he said quietly.

He sat down on the ground, holding onto her. "It's Emmett Rosie, it's me," he told her trying to calm her.

"We need to get back to the house," Edward insisted.

"What is he doing to her!" Emmett hissed.

"You don't want to know."

"The Hell I don't!"

Edward was silent before he walked over and touched Emmett's head to show him than tell him. "STOP!" Emmett shouted after a few minutes. Edward pulled back. "I'll kill that son of a bitch I swear!" he snapped. He lifted Rosalie back up, running home.

Bella looked up when Edward returned. "No one is allowed alone again," Carlisle ordered as Edward hugged Bella.

"This is getting out of control, what does he want?" Bella asked clinging to him.

"I don't know love," he answered, rubbing her back.

He kissed he side of her head with a heavy sigh. "I love you Bella, always remember that," he said quietly.

"Always," she answered quietly.

He kissed the top of her head, closing his eyes.

Emmett walked out of his and Rosalie's room, pain showing on his face. "Did it stop?" Carlisle asked concerned.

"For now," he replied.

"Alice too it just suddenly stopped," Jasper replied.

Carlisle tapped his chin curiously. "He's quiet now," he observed.

"He's planning something he has to be," Edward murmured.

"But what?" Emmett asked.

"Can Alice see anything?" Carlisle asked.

"No, her head is still throbbing," Jasper replied.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "This was all his planning," he said quietly.

"What do we do?" Emmett asked.

"We keep our guards up," Carlisle replied.

The three brothers nodded in agreement.

That night, Bella was fast asleep in her bed. Quil, Embry, and Paul were again sitting outside keeping watch for the vampire. Edward walked up to the house and Paul stood up, growling. "It's only me Paul," he told the gray wolf. The werewolf settled down, laying back down on the ground as Edward climbed into Bella's room.

Sitting on the edge of Bella's bed, Edward watched as his beloved Bella slept peacefully. He closed his eyes before moving to stroke her hair. He felt like he had ruined her life, he ruined her chance of living a normal life. She gasped in her sleep. "No…leave them alone…" she begged in her sleep. He stroked her hair.

"Bella it's okay," he whispered.

She gripped his arm. "Tell them to stop!" she shrieked waking up with a jump. Edward hushed her gently.

"You're okay Bella," he said quietly.

Bella held onto his hand as if he were going to disappear right in front of her. "I'm here love," he whispered gently. He kissed the side of her head.

"He killed you all," she whispered.

"It was just a nightmare," he whispered.

"It was so real," she said quietly.

He kissed her temple. "Everyone's alright," he murmured. She bit her lower lip as he stroked her cheek. "Bella maybe you should go stay with your mother…so he can't hurt you and I can stop putting you in danger," he told her.

"Edward no," she answered.

She sat up, wrapping her arms around his neck. "We can't be apart," she murmured.

"I put your life in danger," he said quietly.

Bella let out a deep breath. "Edward, in some shape or form I will die. I am human," she murmured. He rested his forehead against her neck.

"I love you so much," he whispered.

"I love you," she answered, moving her fingers through his hair.

Edward let out a deep breath, closing his eyes. The last thing he wanted was Bella to ever get hurt. He pulled back, kissing her gently. "Get some rest," he murmured. She nodded her head slowly, lying back down on the bed. Edward kissed her forehead, stroking her face with a gentle smile on his face as he watched his angel sleep.


	22. Continuing Threat

Chapter 22: A Continuing Threat

Another month past and there wasn't another attack from the mysterious vampire, in fact, Forks was quiet again. If it wasn't the commotion of the vampire attacks that bothered the Cullens, it was the fact that there wasn't a sign of them at all.

One day, Bella was walking out of the school with her backpack over her shoulder. The sun was out so Edward wasn't at school that day. Sighing, she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she put her bag into her truck. "Hey Bella," Mike called walking over to her.

"Hey," she answered.

"How's it going? Haven't seen you around town for awhile," he commented.

"Yeah I've been…camping with the rest of the Cullens," she replied.

Mike stuffed his hands in his pockets. "So you and Cullen are really together huh?" he asked.

"Yeah we are," she replied.

She glanced over at the tree line, her heart dropping to the pit of her stomach when she saw the vampire standing not too far away. "I don't like it, he looks at you like you're something to eat," Mike commented.

"Well I don't think it's your decision of who I should and shouldn't date," Bella replied.

"Bells he's a freak, his whole family are freaks," Mike insisted.

"You don't know him, you never said a word to him before so why should you care if we're dating?" she answered.

She climbed into her truck, slamming the door behind her. Mike backed up as she started up her truck and drove off.

As she drove down the road, trying to head back home, she saw the vampire coming right up behind her truck. Giving up on trying to get her truck to go faster, she stopped the truck, got out, and took off into the forest.

She was running down a hill when she slipped and slid down the rest of it. As she stumbled to stand up, the vampire was in front of her. "Hello Isabella," he greeted with a sneer.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

The vampire sneered as he walked around the young woman. "Braeden," he told her.

"Why won't you leave us alone?" she demanded.

She froze when Braeden held a lock of her hair in his hand, taking a sniff of her scent. "Such an intoxicating smell," he said quietly with a grin. He ran his fingers through her hair. "Your scent was intoxicating then too," he commented.

"Why are you after us again?" she asked.

"Not your precious Cullens, I could care less about them. Just messing with the two girls' minds are just for fun," he answered conversationally.

Bella felt the air get caught in her throat as he continued circling her. "You know what I want…just the taste of that delectable blood again," he hissed softly while pushing her hair from her neck. Feeling panic rush through her, Bella reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the mace her father gave her. Holding it up, she sprayed it in his face. Knowing he was caught off guard she dropped the can and took off running again.

"EDWARD!" she shouted as she kept running.

Braeden was in front of her in a flash, before Bella could react he grabbed her by the front of her shirt and threw her about twenty feet, making her hit a tree and fall to the ground. "Such a foolish girl," he sneered. He sighed as he watched Bella try to get up, dizzy from the impact. Her shoulder was dislocated and she whimpered softly, holding her arm. Walking over, he grabbed Bella by her throat, pulling her up from the ground. "Scream for him Bella, scream for your precious Edward like you did before," he taunted.

"No," she answered.

He chuckled. "You will be," he told her, his eyes growing black. Bella suddenly fell to the ground when Braeden was shove off her and Edward lifted her up into his arms.

"You should've stayed near the truck," he told her as he took off running.

Closing her eyes tight, Bella wrapped her good arm around Edward's neck. Just as Edward was close enough to the house, he was knocked off balance. Bella let out a scream as she hit the ground. "You can't protect her forever Edward," Braeden hissed.

"I can and I will!" Edward answered standing up.

Bella held her throbbing shoulder, looking up to see Edward and Braeden both in the crouching position. "EDWARD!" she shouted.

"Your human pet is calling for you," Braeden taunted.

"She's not a pet," Edward hissed.

The vampire started laughing. "You are claiming a human as your mate?" he taunted.

"I have and it's no business of yours!" Edward answered.

Braeden started laughing when the Cullens arrived. "Watch yourself Eddie," he commented. He walked over to Bella as he ran his cold fingers across her jaw. "Being in love with a mortal has it's consequences," he added. Edward hissed standing in front of Bella. Braeden was still laughing before disappearing into the forest. Looking back at Bella, he saw her holding her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"My shoulder, I think it came out of place," she replied.

Carlisle walked over to them, having Bella sit down on the ground. "Edward you'll have to put the shoulder back," he informed. Nodding his head slowly, Edward reached down, holding onto Bella's hand while Carlisle placed his hands on her waist. "Ready?" he asked.

"No but go ahead," Bella replied.

Edward gently for him, but hard for Bella, he jerked her arm forward. A loud pop could be heard and Bella screamed in pain. "It's back," Carlisle informed letting Bella go. Edward hugged her close, kissing the top of her head.

"Did he do anything to you?" he asked.

"Just freaking me out," she replied.

Rubbing her back, he looked at Alice. "Anything?" he asked.

"No," she replied sadly.

Lifting Bella up into his arms, he carried her into the house.

Two weeks, Bella was sitting in the living room at the Cullen house with her arm in a sling. "Come on Bella," Alice said smiling walking in.

"What?" Bella asked looking up.

"We need to have some fun, let's at least go to prom," she replied.

"I have my arm in a sling," Bella told her.

"You can still dance," Alice answered.

Edward walked into the room. "I'm going to agree with Alice with this one, we all deserve some fun at least," he murmured. Sighing, she understood what they meant and nodded her head slowly.

"Great let's get you ready," Alice said excitedly.

The two girls left the house to get ready for prom. Edward chuckled lightly, going up to his room to get ready himself.

Bella sighed as she stood in her bedroom wearing the prom dress Alice bought for her. "Bella you look so pretty!" Alice said excitedly as she finished curling Bella's hair.

"I don't think so but alright," Bella answered.

Alice laughed. "Okay I have to go meet Jazzy, see you there," she told her friend before she took off at home. Letting out a sigh, Bella left her bedroom and went downstairs to find her father standing at the end of the staircase with Edward waiting by the door.

Edward stood by the door of the Swan house when he saw Bella walking down the stairs. "I know the sling makes this look tacky," she quipped lightly as she walked down the stairs.

"You look beautiful," Edward answered.

Charlie chuckled lightly. "Alright, your mom wants a picture of you guys," he informed. Edward smiled a little as he wrapped his arms around Bella's waist, pulling her close. Bella smiled as she leaned against her boyfriend, looking at her father. Charlie took the picture, clearing his throat.

"I'll take care of her Chief Swan," Edward informed him.

"Yeah you told me, still holding you to it," Charlie answered.

Edward took the blue rose corsage from the clear box, slipping it over Bella's wrist. Charlie took another picture, knowing Renee would want a picture of Edward giving their daughter her corsage. "Um…thanks," she told Edward. Smiling, he heard Charlie's thoughts that he wanted to talk to Bella alone for a minute.

"I'll wait outside," he told her.

"Okay," she answered.

Bella cleared her throat as she stood in front of her dad. "I saw that your mace was missing so I put another one in your bag," he told her.

"Thanks," she said laughing a little.

Charlie smiled as he walked over to his daughter. "You look beautiful Bells," he told her.

"Thanks," she answered.

He kissed her forehead gently with a smile before watching her leave.

When they arrived at prom, Edward parked the car before leading his girlfriend inside. "How's your arm?" he asked.

"It's alright," she replied.

Edward kissed the side of her head as a slow song started. "Shall we dance?" he asked. She gave him a quizzical look.

"You're serious?" she asked.

"Oh why not," he replied chuckling.

Bella smiled as he pulled her close, lifting her up so she was standing on his feet. "You look so beautiful tonight Bella," he said quietly.

"You look beautiful yourself," she answered.

Chuckling, he rested his forehead against hers. "What did Braeden mean that loving a mortal has it's consequences?" she asked. Sighing, Edward moved his hand over her back.

"I don't know, he has the ability to shield his mind so I couldn't read his mind of what he was planning," he replied.

Biting her lower lip, she rested her head on his chest. "Don't worry about it love," he whispered, hugging her close.

"I'll try not to," she answered.

Edward kissed her forehead gently. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you," she answered.

Edward sighed, closing his eyes as they swayed to the music together. Bella was smiling, actually enjoying herself. As long as she was with Edward, she felt so safe and so happy. Edward held her closer to him if it were at all possible. The last thing he wanted was for something to happen to Bella, two weeks ago was close, he wasn't going to let it happen again.


	23. Nightmares do come true

Chapter 23: Nightmares do come true

Edward was sitting in the living room with his brothers. "No I'm not going," he insisted.

"Edward you haven't hunted in two weeks," Carlisle told his son.

"I'm not going to hunt and leave Bella alone," Edward answered.

Carlisle sighed. "Edward, go hunt, Bella is protected," he insisted. Edward was silent, moving his fingers through his hair.

"Come on Edward, we'll only be gone for an hour, two hour at the most," Emmett put in.

The bronze-haired vampire was silent for a few more minute before getting up and walking over to his brothers. "Alright, see you later babe," Emmett told Rosalie, kissing her briefly. Rosalie kissed him back smiling a little. Jasper kissed Alice's forehead before the three of them ran out the door to go on their hunt.

At the Swan house, Bella was getting ready for bed when the phone rang. Walking over to the phone on the wall, she lifted it from its cradle. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hey Bells, I'm kind of stuck here at the station, you alright to be spending the night alone?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, dad, I can handle it," she replied.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, bye dad."

Hanging up the phone, she pushed her hair from her eyes as she went upstairs. At least her arm was no longer in its sling so she was able to move around. Walking into her room with water she had brought in with her, she set the glass on her nightstand and removed her book from its drawer. "Wuthering Heights, what a classic," a voice said from the corner of her room. Looking up with a gasp, she got up from her bed.

"What are you doing here?!" she demanded with a hiss.

"You know three werewolves and six vampires, don't you think that make your wolf friends a little outnumbered?" Braeden asked.

"Get out!" Bella hissed.

She backed up against the nightstand. "Get out," she ordered again.

"Bella, Bella, Bella, you know it's not that easy," he answered.

Bella grabbed the lamp behind her and hit him in the head with it, knocking her glass over and the water spilt on the light socket. Grabbing a hold of her cell phone, she tried to run out of the room when Braeden grabbed a hold of her arm, making her lose her balance and fall on the floor just as she hit the speed dial. "Hello?" she heard Edward's voice on the other end.

"EDWARD!" she shouted before Braeden crushed her phone.

Edward looked up when the connection was suddenly cut. "Bella's in trouble!" he called. Emmett and Jasper looked up, but in a split second Edward was gone in a flash back to Forks.

Bella gasped as she nearly stumbled down the stairs, a fire had started from her water hitting the plug and now the house was starting to catch on fire. She let out a scream when she tripped and hit her head on the wall, knocking her unconscious.

Edward arrived at the Swan house with his whole family behind him. He felt nothing but fear rush through his system; Bella's entire house was on fire. "BELLA!" Edward shouted.

"Emmett grab him!" Carlisle exclaimed.

Emmett grabbed a hold of his brother before he could run into the house. "LET GO!" he shouted. He struggled against Emmett as hard as he could trying to get him to let go. "ISABELLA!" he shouted in agony. The house caved in and Edward fell to his knees while Emmett still held onto him. "Oh God please not again," he begged quietly. He looked toward the trees to see Braeden standing in a tree with a sneer on his face. Standing up, shoving Emmett off him, Edward darted after the vampire. "MURDERER!" he shouted.

"EDWARD!" Carlisle shouted.

Running through the forest, Edward could hear Braeden's laughing. "Her death was quick and easy!" he taunted.

"Fight me you coward!" Edward snapped looking around.

Braeden was still laughing running ahead of the Cullen vampire. "Bye, bye Eddie!" he taunted before he was gone. Edward collapsed to his knees, closing his eyes tight. He smashed his fists into the ground crying out in pure agony.

When he arrived back at the Cullen house, everyone was silent. "Edward…" Carlisle started reaching out to touch his son's arm. Edward pushed his father away, shaking his head.

"You told me that she would be safe, you told me it was safe for me to hunt and let Quil, Embry, and Paul watch her! LIAR! YOU LIED TO ME!" Edward shouted.

Carlisle was silent. "I'm going to the Volturi and you can't stop me this time," he hissed. Before he could get to the door, Emmett and Jasper were standing there. "Let me through!" he snapped.

"We're not letting you leave," Carlisle answered, his voice quiet.

"You can't keep me here!" Edward snapped.

"We have someone standing at every door and window, you're not leaving."

Edward looked around the whole house, putting his head in his hands. "You told me she was safe! You lied to me!" he hissed angrily.

"I didn't think he would leave to gather more vampires for his coven," Carlisle answered.

"You can't keep me here; I have no reason to live. I will find my way to the Volturi," he insisted.

Walking over to his son, Carlisle grabbed a hold of his arm. "Do you think it's what Bella would want you to do?" he asked quietly. Swallowing hard, Edward closed his eyes tight.

"I can't live without her…not again," Edward replied.

Carlisle placed his hand on the back of his son's neck. "Edward, do you think she'd want you to go through with it?" he asked. He was silent, shaking his head slowly. Letting out an unneeded breath, Carlisle hugged him tight. "We all loved her," he pointed out. Edward clung to his father breaking into dry sobs.

"This isn't fair!" he exclaimed.

"It isn't," Carlisle agreed quietly, only hugging him tighter.

The entire house was silent except the quiet sobs from a few member of the family. Carlisle just held onto his son, trying to comfort him the best that he could. "I'm sorry son, I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Braeden sighed as he walked into his camp. "Well done boys," he congratulated his coven with a grin. He walked over to his tent, grinning to find his prize waking up; her arms were tied around her back and around a pole. She had a gag in her mouth, but she was glaring at him. "Aw don't look at me that way," he told her squatting down in front of her. He reached up and pulled the scarf from her mouth.

"You can't keep me here!" she hissed.

"On the contrary my dear, I can," he answered grinning from ear to ear.

"The Cullens will find me," she said confidently.

Her words made him laugh a little more. "Your precious Cullens, they think you're dead," he answered grinning. Braeden moved his fingers through her hair. "Your poor little Eddie boo is probably on the next plane to Volterra," he told her grinning. Bella's heart dropped.

"No," she whispered.

The evil vampire could hear her heart miss a beat and it only made his smile grow wider, if it were possible. "No…he can't…he wouldn't…" she whispered with tears in her eyes.

"Oh he would…and he is…" he answered.

Bella felt her entire world begin to crumble around her, tear pressed hard against her eye. "No, no, no," she whispered brokenly. Lowering her head, her shoulders began to shake.

"It is so entertaining to see a young woman…a human…care so much about a soulless creature," he commented.

Lifting her head up suddenly, Bella spit in his face. "You don't know a thing about him! He is more of a man than a monster! More than you'll ever be!" she hissed. As she struggled against her ropes, she dared to move her head closer. "He has more of a soul than you ever will!" she snapped.

"Or he was…he is a creature of Hell now my dear now that he has probably just finished taunting the Volturi by now," he answered standing up.

Feeling the weight of his words reach her ears, Bella lowered her head once more. "Kill me, please," she begged quietly.

"No, I have better plans for you. Your blood is too delectable to take all at once," he answered.

He ran his ice cold fingers along her arm. "Except for tonight, I will let you grieve," he told her. Walking over to the flap of his tent, he left the sobbing young woman alone.


	24. Held Captive

Chapter 24: Held Captive

Bella struggled against the cold vampire grips as they chained her hands above her head. They were now in a cellar not too far from an abandoned farm house. There were healing cut marks on her left shoulder, right forearm, and right shoulder. "Let go!" she snapped.

"Just calm down," one vampire muttered as he chained her arms above her head.

She continued to glare at the vampires as they finished chaining her up. "You should eat," the vampire told her holding up a spoonful of soup. Bella opened her mouth and once he gave her the food, she spit it right back at him. "You bitch!" he snapped.

"You're all murderers!" she hissed.

"Eat," he answered.

She glared and he put the soup bowl next to her. "Try eating it now," he told her leaving the cellar. Bella sat in her cell with tears in her eye. Tugging on her chains a little, she looked around the cellar. It looked like it had been used before.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" she screamed tugging on her chains.

She started tugging harder on her chains a little more. "GET ME OUT! YOU CAN'T KEEP ME HERE!" she screamed.

"Stop your screaming," Braeden told her walking into the cellar.

Bella glared at him. "You can't keep me here!" she napped.

"I can and I will," he replied.

He walked over and undid the chains. As soon as she was free, she tried to run for it. Braeden grabbed a hold of her before she could reach the door. "You can't escape me," he told her.

"Let go of me!" she snapped as he dragged her back into the cellar.

Shoving he down on the floor, he ran back to the door, closing and locking the door. Bella glared at him. "Hungry?" she muttered.

"Actually, I am," he replied.

Walking over to her, he shoved her down on the ground, straddling her sides. Bella struggled against him, but she ended up giving in and just lying on the dusty floor of the cellar. Braeden took out his dagger, pushing Bella's pajama top up. She bit her lower lip as she felt the pain rush through her. The goosebumps of repulsion went up and down her spine as he started sucking the blood from the injury.

Braeden pulled away after awhile, sealing the wound on her stomach with his tongue. "You disgust me," she hissed.

"Hmm well maybe you could change your mind after awhile," he answered grinning moving his hand over her jaw.

"Never," she told him, feeling dizzy from the blood loss.

Chortling, he tugged her top down before leaving. Bella stared up at the ceiling of her cellar with tears in her eye. "I can't believe this," she sobbed quietly.

Back in Forks, Edward was sitting in the gardens with his head in his hands. "Edward, someone is here to see you," Esme informed. Looking up, Edward got up from his spot on the ground. Looking up, he saw Quil, Embry, and Paul there.

"Where the hell were you three that night?!" he demanded angrily.

"Edward," Carlisle said quietly.

"I trusted the three of you with Bella's life!" Edward told them.

"It was a trap, he had some of his vampires come close to the house and we went to chase them off," Quil replied.

Closing his eyes tight, Edward felt nothing except the pain of the loss of Bella. "Edward, we know sorry isn't enough for what happened," Embry told him slowly.

"You're right, sorry will never be enough. I now have to live for eternity without her," Edward answered.

He stared at the werewolves in front of him, shaking his head slowly. He walked into the forest without looking back. "Edward!" Esme called to her son with pain in her own eyes.

"Let him go," Carlisle said quietly.

Jasper went after his brother, to keep an eye on him, just so he wouldn't try to go to the Volturi.

Edward walked through the forest when he came to a cliff on a mountain. He stared out at the valleys in front of him. The sun broke through the clouds and the rays bounced off his skin. "Jasper, I know you're following me, I'm not an idiot," he muttered. Jasper sighed as he walked out from his hiding spot, walking over to his brother.

"Edward, we all miss Bella," he told his brother.

Standing in his spot in silence, he watched as birds flew by singing without a care in the world. "I am sorry brother, for what happened to her. I can't imagine of the kind of pain you are going through," Jasper murmured.

"You're right, you don't know…and you'll never have to know," he answered.

Sitting on the ledge of the cliff, Edward continued to stare out over the treetops. "You don't know what it feels like to have your already dead heart die some more," he added. Jasper was silent. "I'm already a nonliving creature, what makes it suicide if the Volturi just tear me apart?" he asked.

"You are living," Jasper answered.

"No, I'm not, I can throw myself from this cliff a thousand times and it won't do anything to me. If I were really living I should die the moment I hit the ground," Edward told him.

Closing his eyes, he tilted his head back. "I'm dead already Jasper, I died years ago and just when I started to feel just a moment of living again, I died three weeks ago," he told his brother. Jasper sighed as he moved his fingers through his hair, staying completely silent now.

Back at the rubble of what used to be the Swan house, Jacob pulled up in his car and Annabelle climbed out. "What are we doing here?" he asked curiously as he followed his girlfriend to the rubble. She hushed him and walked around whatever was left of the house. Closing her eyes, she reached out, touching whatever was left of a wall. Letting out a gasp, images flashed through her head.

_Annabelle could feel the heat of the flames of the house. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" she heard Bella shout. Looking up, she saw Bella running down the stairs, but then she tripped and hit her head on the wall. Her whole body became limp._

__

"Foolish girl," Braeden hissed.

Walking over, he lifted the unconscious young woman into his arms and ran out of the house with her.

Annabelle gasped again pulling back, stumbling back a bit. "Annie?" Jacob asked quietly squatting next to her.

"Bella's alive," she whispered.


	25. Braeden's Traitor

Chapter 25: Braedens Traitor

In the dark, cold cellar, Bella was lying on the ground, unconscious. Braeden had once again fed from her and now the young woman was weak and dizzy from her blood loss. The cellar door opened, making her flinch a little and close her eyes tight. "Please just kill me," she begged, believing it was Braeden.

One of Braeden's coven vampires, looking no more than sixteen, placed her hand in the middle of Bella's back and helped her sit up. Bella's head fell back. "Drink," he insisted quietly holding a bottle of water to her lips. He supported her head and she slowly took a sip of the water he was giving her. "Where did he hurt you?" he asked quietly. She gestured to her side. "My name is Gary," he told her.

"How…nice…" she got out in a mutter.

He walked over to the bag of supplies he brought with him and pulled out a small, yet fluffy pillow, placing her head on it. He grabbed the blanket he had in his bag, covering her with it. "I'm going to help you," he told her quietly.

"Why…?" she asked quietly.

"Because I don't think its right what he's doing to you," he answered.

He took out a thermos and filled the cap with the soup he brought. "I think its cool enough," he told her. He helped her sit up. "Come on, please eat," he said quietly to the young woman. She took a sip of the soup, suddenly realizing how hungry she really was.

"What are you going to do with me?" she asked quietly after a few minutes.

"I'm going to help you get your strength back before I go to find Edward and his family," he replied.

Her eyes were extremely heavy. "Edward…but…" she started.

"Braeden lied, Edward is alive," he whispered.

Tears fell down her face. "Edward," she sobbed. He hushed her gently, stroking her hair gently.

"Rest," he told her.

She whimpered softly, closing her eyes tight. He made sure she was still covered before he sat in the corner of the cellar, watching her sleep.

Two days later, Gary was still watching Bella rest when she sat up a little, holding her throbbing head. "I brought you some more food," he told her. She looked to her side to see a sandwich sitting on a plate next to her.

"You didn't poison it did you?" she asked.

Gary chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Don't worry, it's safe for you to eat," he assured her. She bit her lower lip before she tentatively lifted the sandwich to her lips and took a bite. "Your Edward's coven…I am uncertain that they will believe me that you are still alive," he told her.

"What…" she said quietly.

Gary pushed his auburn colored hair from his eyes. "I'm going to go back and find them for you, bring them here and rescue you," he told her quietly. Her eyes widened and put the half-eaten sandwich on the plate.

"You're going to find them?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied quietly.

Gary moved a little closer. "Bella, I need something, anything, to prove to them that you are alive," he told her quietly. Bella bit her lower lip as she tried to think of what he could bring to them to prove that she was in fact alive. She gasped before she took off her cuff bracelet, placing it in his hand.

"Take this," she told him.

The vampire looked at the bracelet in his hand. "I'll bring them back here, I promise," he told her.

"Thank you," she answered.

Nodding, he got up from his spot on the floor and left the cellar. Bella sat in the dark with her knees drawn up to her chest, gnawing on her bottom lip. All she could think about was the fact that Edward was truly alive; knowing he was alive and that he hadn't gone to the Volturi like Braeden said brought tears to her eyes. "Edward…" she whispered.

At the Cullen house, Edward was pacing the living room. "I don't believe you," he told his sister angrily.

"Edward why would I lie about this?" Annabelle asked standing up.  
"She's telling you the truth, Bella is alive," Jacob insisted.

Shaking his head slowly, he moved his fingers through his hair. "You saw it yourself there was no possible way she could've gotten out of there alive," he insisted.

"But Edward you saw what I saw, I showed you what I saw, she is alive," Annabelle insisted grabbing her brother's arm.

Letting out an unneeded breath. "Even if she got out of there alive, who's to say that she is still alive? Braeden has wanted to feed on her the moment he saw her!" he snapped. The entire family was silent, unable to answer him. "I have to live the rest of eternity without her because of my stupid choices, and just because you say she is alive, doesn't make it true!" he hissed. Going into his music room, he slammed the door behind him, nearly shattering the doorframe.

The entire house was silent, except for the sound of one of Esme's collector's plates falling from the ceiling and shattering on the floor. Then again Esme's thoughts weren't on the shattered plate on the floor; her thoughts were on her son who had once again locked himself in his piano room. Carlisle sighed as he kissed the side of his wife's head and moved over to the door. "Edward, it's me son let me in," he said quietly as he stood in front of the door.

Silence only met his request. "Edward, we need to talk son, open the door," he insisted. Esme wrapped her arms around herself, sighing sadly.

Ten more minutes passed and the door finally cracked open just enough to let Carlisle in. Once inside the music room, Edward closed the door behind him. "What?" he asked irritably.

"Son, I know you are going through an extremely difficult time," Carlisle answered.

"No one knows the kind of pain I am feeling," Edward insisted.

"Yes, there is."

Carlisle stared at his son. "I didn't lose your mother to a murder like Bella's, but I lost her to disease, a different murderer," he said quietly. Edward was silent, staring down at the floor. "When I lost her Edward, I thought my world was over, everything was finished. If it weren't for you and Jasper I wouldn't have gotten up during the day," he explained.

"Well unfortunately I don't have that kind of distraction," Edward muttered.

"Son…" Carlisle murmured gently.

Carlisle sat down on the piano bench. "You have a family who loves you and it is hurting everyone to see you in so much pain. The pain will lessen; you will be able to go on. I myself didn't think it were possible at al that moving on was ever an option. Even so many years later until I got to know Esme. She's not your birthmother Edward, but she loves you just as much as a mother would love her child and it is killing her to see you in so much pain," Carlisle explained.

"What do you want me to do? Forget about her?" Edward asked.

"No, don't forget, but remember the greatest moments you shared together. The loving moments that no one could ever take away. Instead of thinking of the worse of times. Also who says Bella is even dead? Maybe Annabelle is right about her still being alive," Carlisle suggested.

"I doubt…"

They looked up when they heard commotion outside. "I NEED TO SPEAK TO EDWARD CULLEN!" a voice shouted.

"Get him out of here!" they heard Rosalie exclaim.

They hurried out of the piano room to see Emmett pinning another vampire on the ground. "I am here to talk to Edward Cullen!" the vampire insisted.

"What?" Edward asked.

The vampire's red eyes stared up into Edward's topaz colored eyes. "Edward, she is alive," he insisted. He wet to reach for his pocket when Emmett grabbed his arm. "I have proof that she is alive! It is in my pocket!" he insisted.

"Emmett let him go," Carlisle insisted.

Emmett got off Gary and the vampire stood up with a hiss. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out Bella's bracelet. "She's alive," he insisted. Edward walked over and grabbed the bracelet from him. There was a bloodstain on the blue stone in the middle. "He's feeding on her…slowly…torturing her," Gary explained.

"Why didn't you let her go!?" Alice exclaimed jumping up.  
"Braeden has nine vampires following him, do you think I would be able to get her out myself?!" Gary demanded.

Edward stared at the bracelet. "She is truly alive?" he asked quietly.

"If that isn't enough…" Gary started.

He started sending images to the vampire of his memories of the last two months. Edward's eyes widened in horror, dropping the bracelet on the floor. "Enough, enough!" he hissed turning his head away, refusing to see anymore.

"She's still alive; I gave her food before she gave me her bracelet. For the last two months, until two days ago, she thought you were dead," Gary explained.

"That bastard!" Emmett hissed angrily.

Gary looked at the family of vampires. "It would be ten vampires against eight," he informed.

"I'm in, Bella's my best friend and I'll go with you," Jacob informed.

Annabelle rested her hand over Jacob's. "I'm going too," she told them. Rubbing the back of his neck, Edward let out an unneeded breath.

"We need a plan," he informed.

Gary nodded when Alice started drawing something. "What is she doing?" he asked.

"She's already envisioned the plan," Jasper replied resting his hand on his wife's knee.

Alice finished drawing her picture, placing it in the middle of the table. "Gary's going to show us around there, it's going to be a trap around the cellar," she informed.

"Now that I'm gone they'll know I have come to you," Gary answered as he kneeled on the floor.

"What do we do?" Esme asked quietly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'll bring myself in as the bait, as soon as I step on his territory I'll be swarmed," he explained.

Carlisle rubbed his hands together. "Which ones are the best fighters?" Gary asked looking around.

"That would be Jacob, Emmett, and Jasper," Carlisle replied.

"We'll need them for the muscle part while Edward goes to the cellar, since he is the fastest of the coven he'll be able to get her out," Gary explained.

Each one of them nodded here and there as they listened closely to Gary's plan on how to get Bella out safely. Except what they were also wondering is if they were all going to come out safely.


	26. Plan in Action

Chapter 26: A Plan in Action

Edward sat in the forest with his family, looking across the grounds as he tried to find the cellar. "Where is she?" he asked Gary.

"She'd be over there," Gary whispered, pointing to one side of the field.

The red-eyed vampire stood up and went out into the field. "Braeden! I have returned!" he called. In the matter of minutes, the coven of vampires had him surrounded. They threw the vampire down on the ground, pinning him there.

"Gary, Gary, Gary, what were you thinking?" Braeden asked walking over to him and pressed his foot down on Gary's head.

"Saving a girl from being tortured and killed by you," Gary answered.

Braeden chuckled. "You'll watch as I drain her completely of her blood and send her corpse back to her precious Edward," he sneered.

"You're the biggest monster of all of us," Gary hissed.

"That's what we are my one time friend," Braeden answered.

He looked at one of the vampires. "Bring the girl," he ordered. Before the vampire could go to the cellar, a large russet wolf came out of nowhere and pounced on him growling. "Intruders!" Braeden exclaimed. Emmett and Jasper ran out of their hiding spots, grabbing a hold of a few vampires.

"GO EDWARD!" Emmett shouted.

Braeden hissed as he went after Edward. Edward spun around, shoving him backwards. The vampire flew backwards, hitting the ground so hard it sounded like a boulder crashing down a hill. Running over to the cellar door, he ripped it open running down the stone stairs. "Bella!" he called. The first thing he caught was the smell of blood. "Bella!" he called again. Looking over on the ground, he found his girlfriend lying on the stone, cold floor. Running over to her, he saw that her right leg was broken and bleeding. "Bella, please talk to me love," he whispered, resting his hand on her cheek. He lifted his hand up from her head to see blood on his hand.

She could hear him talking to her; she slowly came back to consciousness feeling nothing but pain. "Bella," he whispered, touching her cheek.

"Edward…" she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

Edward stroked her face gently. "I tried to escape," she sobbed.

"I'm here love, I'm here," he said quietly.

He lifted her up into his arms, wincing when she cried out from the pain. "Just stay with me, please stay with me, I'm going to get you home," he told her. He started running out of the cellar when Braeden grabbed onto Edward making him lose his grip on Bella. Bella screamed when she hit the ground. Jacob ran over while Edward and Braeden began to fight. "JACOB! GET HER HOME!" Edward shouted. Annabelle ran over and carefully placed Bella's limp body onto her boyfriend's back.

"Get her home," she told him.

Jacob looked at her, resting his head on her shoulder. Annabelle hugged him with one arm. "I love you," she whispered gently. Jacob nuzzled her neck before he ran off with Bella on his back. Annabelle stood up before she ran over, jumping on a vampire that was pinning Rosalie on the ground. "Get off her!" she hissed. The vampire hissed, grabbing a hold of Annabelle's arm, throwing her off him.

Edward tried to get Braeden off him, but the vampire had a hold of his head, trying his hardest to twist his neck. Edward hissed as he was able to lift his leg and shove him off. "You will never go anywhere near Isabella again!" he hissed. Braeden laughed as he grabbed a hold of Edward's arm, throwing him onto his back, stepping hard on his chest. Edward tried to get his foot off him when Braeden grabbed a hold of his neck again. When the Cullen vampire was able to free himself from the evil vampire's grasp, the gold chain was ripped from his neck and the necklace was thrown to the ground.

Annabelle got up from the ground and ran full force at the evil vampire that was trying his hardest to kill Rosalie. Letting out a scream she tackled the vampire grabbing a hold of his neck. She opened her mouth and her teeth dug into his skin. Rosalie sat up when the vampire let out the loudest scream she had ever heard a vampire make. Annabelle let him go and he dropped to the ground holding his neck as if he were on fire. Rosalie jumped up from the ground, standing next to her foster sister, holding onto her arm. They looked over to see Emmett struggling against three vampires that were attacking him. Rosalie hissed, her eyes changing black as she ran vampire speed, jumping on the shoulders of one of the vampires, grabbing his head. Annabelle grabbed another vampire around his neck, throwing him to the ground.

Edward was struggling against Braeden, trying go get the vampire to let him go. Carlisle grabbed a hold of the vampire, hissing. "You have tried to kill my family for the last time!" Carlisle growled, his eyes the deepest black his son had ever seen.

"Foolish," Braeden hissed.

He grabbed at Carlisle's arm, but the patriarch vampire ran behind Braeden trying to grab at the back of his neck. Braeden ducked out of the way, taking Edward with him. He moved over to the fire that Gary had built for the vampires that were destroyed. "You really think you get the last say about your son's life?" Braeden sneered with an evil grin. Edward tried pulling at Braeden's arm, trying with all the strength he had to get the vampire to let him go. "You'll gamble your son's life away," he taunted. The heat of the fire made Edward wince and close his eyes tight.

"I'm not gambling anything," Carlisle answered.

"Really? Shall we test that theory?" he asked moving closer to the flames.

Edward looked at his father. "No, we're not," he answered. He moved his foot behind Braeden's leg and twisted it, making it so they both fell to the ground. Carlisle took this chance and threw the vampire off his son. Braeden hissed as he got back up, his leg completely distorted.

"If I'm going to die I'm taking one of you with me!" he snapped.

Braeden ran full force at Edward. "NO!" Carlisle shouted shoving Edward. Edward hit the ground, looking up to see Carlisle throwing the vampire down on the ground. "May you rot in Hell!" Carlisle hissed as he dragged Braeden up from the ground.

"I'll meet you there," Braeden laughed.

"No, you won't," Edward answered.

Edward grabbed on of Braeden's arms while Carlisle grabbed the other. Together they threw the vampire into the flames, backing up as the flames turned purple. Except, from the dryness of the field, the fire grew bigger than they anticipated. "Go, Edward go," Carlisle insisted pushing him towards the forest. The whole family started running towards the forest, but Annabelle ran with her family carrying the vampire she had bitten. Gary was running off when Alice screamed.

"JASPER!" she wailed.

Jasper had been jumped by one of the last standing vampires and was trying to fight him off. "I'll get him go," Gary insisted pushing Alice towards the family. Alice was about to object when Edward grabbed a hold of her. "Get her out of here!" he ordered.

"Alice come on," Edward insisted trying to pull her away.

Alice struggled against her brother-in-law but he was able to get her to safety.

They were standing on top of one of the cliffs watching as the fire started growing bigger. They could faintly hear the sounds of the fire department showing up at the area. Alice was looking around frantically for her husband. "Oh God, oh God," she murmured, her voice trembling.

"I'm sure Jasper's fine," Rosalie said quietly, resting her hand on her shoulder.

Edward moved his fingers through his hair when he looked over at his sister to see her looking at the vampire she had bitten. "Annabelle what are you…" he started.

"Edward, look," she whispered.

Kneeling beside his sister, he looked at the bite mark on his neck. They looked up when they heard rustling in the trees. Looking up, Jasper stumbled out, some of his clothes were singed, but he was alive. "Jasper!" Alice gasped running over and hugging him tight. Jasper held onto her, closing his eyes tight.

"What about…" Esme started.

Jasper shook his head slowly. "He sacrificed his life to save mine," he said quietly. Everyone sat in silence mourning over the loss of their fallen comrade. What brought them out of their silence was the sound of the vampire writhing and screaming on the ground.

"What's going on with him?" Jasper asked.

"I don't know, Annabelle bit him and he's just been doing that," Rosalie replied as Emmett wrapped his arms around her.

Carlisle kneeled beside the vampire, moving his head to the side. He saw something on his neck and reached out, touching it before holding it up to his nose to take in the scent. "Carlisle is that what I think it is?" Esme asked quietly, kneeling beside her husband. He looked at his family before looking at the substance on his fingers.

"It's…blood," he replied in disbelief.


	27. A Unique Gift

Chapter 27: A Unique Gift

Three days had gone by and the Cullens were still standing in the same position as they were before. They were watching something that was next to impossible, a vampire returning to his human state.

Edward was leaning against the cliff as the vampire, now human stopped screaming and was completely still. Carlisle reached over and touched the man's neck, feeling for a pulse. "Well?" Jasper asked his father, holding onto Alice.

"He's alive," Carlisle informed.

He woke up and he got up as fast as he could. When he saw the Cullens staring at him, panic filled his being when he realized that he was human again. "Oh God please don't kill me," he begged fearfully.

"We're not going to hurt you, are you alright?" Carlisle asked concerned.

"What…what happened to me?" he asked.

Annabelle bit her lower lip, leaning against the rock wall. "My bite turned you back into a human," she said quietly. He looked at his hands again, to see that he was normal again. He looked at the coven of vampires before he looked at the half-vampire by the wall.

"Thank you," he told her before he ran off.

Annabelle let out a shaky break when Esme walked over and hugged her daughter. "She has the ability of turning us all back," Rosalie said quietly.

"Rosalie," Esme said quietly.

Edward stood there in complete silence. "Everyone before we start jumping around and start getting in line of who's going to go first, we really need to test this. This could also be something that only happens during a battle too," Carlisle pointed out.

"Test it on me," Edward answered after a few minutes.

They looked over at him. "If I have a chance of living a normal, happy life with Bella, I want to do it," he insisted.

"We don't know if this ability has the same effect like vampire venom. Son you could lose your memories after this," Carlisle pointed out.

Edward looked at his sister. "That is…if you want to Annabelle, I don't want to take advantage of your ability," he told her. Annabelle smiled a little before she walked over to her brother, hugging him tight.

"I know how badly you want to be with Bella without having to steal her soul," she said quietly.

Closing his eyes tight, he held onto her. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered.

Annabelle closed her eyes before she opened her mouth and sunk her teeth into his shoulder, keeping away from all the main veins so he wouldn't bleed to death once he was human again. Almost immediately the pain hit him. He fell to his knees holding onto his shoulder crying out in pain. Esme kneeled down beside her son holding onto him. "You're okay sweetheart, you're okay," she soothed. Edward was gripping her arm, wincing in pain.

"BELLA!" he shouted.

At the hospital back in Forks, Bella woke up with a gasp. She could hear the EKG machine beeping, but her vision was blurred. "Bella," a familiar voice said quietly. Once her vision cleared, she saw her mother and father both there.

"Mom…dad…" she said quietly.

"Hey baby," Renee whispered stroking her daughter's hair with tears in her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Charlie asked, holding her hand.

"Everything hurts," she replied, her voice hoarse.

He nodded his head slowly, just grateful to see his daughter alive. "What happened?" she asked.

"You disappeared after the fire, we thought you had died. The Cullens and Jacob went to find you and Jacob came back with you, but no one has been able to get in contact with the family to let them know you're okay," Charlie said quietly.

Biting her lower lip, she remembered the fight. Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. "Sweetie are you okay?" Renee asked.

"Yeah, I'm just hurting," she replied.

"I'll go get a nurse," Renee informed.

Charlie held his daughter's hand with a sigh. "We're going to find them I promise," he assured her. He kissed her forehead. "I'm just so happy you're okay," he whispered. She watched him leave to go down to the cafeteria to get a coffee. Jacob walked in with some flowers.

"Jake," she said quietly.

He placed the flowers in the vase, hugging her gently. Bella hugged him back with tears in her eyes. "Where's Edward?" she asked.

"I don't know, I went back to the field where we found you, but by the time I got back, the whole field was in flames and the fire department was extinguishing the flames," he explained.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out whatever was left of the ring Edward wore around his neck. "I did find this," he told her, placing it in her hand. Bella looked at the ring with tears in her eyes.

"No, no, no," she sobbed.

She could hear the heart monitor starting to speed up from her getting all upset. "No," she sobbed just as Renee came back with a nurse.

"What's going on in here?" the nurse asked.

Bella hid the ring under her pillow. "Nothing, it just hurts," she replied. The nurse sighed as she pulled out her syringe.

"You were ready for another dose," she informed.

Bella watched as the nurse put the medication into her IV. Her eyes started to get heavy from the morphine, but her hand was still gripping the ring. Jacob kissed her forehead. "I'm so sorry Bella," he whispered. She fell asleep and Jacob sat by her bed as he himself worried over Annabelle's safety.

Four days later, Bella was released from the hospital and she wanted to go back to school immediately. The last thing she wanted was to sit at home in bed going out of her mind about Edward. After hours of talking about it with Charlie, he reluctantly let Bella go back to school.

During the day however, not even the teachers could keep Bella's mind off what could have happened in the field. Biting her lower lip, she kept playing around with the engagement ring that was now on her right hand. She would keep it with her for the rest of her life. "Miss Swann, could you please tell the class the last thing I have said?" the teacher asked. Lifting her head up, she looked around before her face started blushing red.

"Sorry…I don't know," she admitted.

"Eyes on the board please," the teacher scolded lightly.

She looked at the board and started writing down the notes to her class.

When lunch came around, Bella was sitting at the table with Angela and Eric, listening to them talk about what plans they had that weekend. "Bella why don't you come to the movies with us this weekend?" Angela asked, extremely concerned about her friend.

"I really couldn't impose," Bella answered.

"No come on it'll be fun," Angela insisted.

Shaking her head slowly, Bella cleared her throat. "I think I'll just go home and rest, my head is starting to hurt and my leg," she replied looking at the black boot she had to wear. Sighing, she moved her fingers through her hair when she glanced up at the door. Her eyes widened in disbelief at who walked in. "Oh God…" she whispered.

"Is that…" Angela started.

Bella stood up from her chair, her heart was beating so hard she could almost hear it. "Edward…" she whispered in disbelief.


	28. A Real Life

Chapter 28: A Real Life

Once Edward was fully inside the cafeteria, Bella was standing up from her chair. "EDWARD!" she shouted, not caring that the entire school was looking at them. She did her best to run over to him, once reaching him; she threw her arms around him.

The young woman let out a gasp in surprise once she was in his arms, several things surprised her. The fact his body was no longer hard and cold, the second, her crashing into him knocked him off balance a little enough to fall back against the wall behind him.

Holding her close to him, Edward buried his face into her hair. Feeling her in his arms once more felt wonderful. The fact that he was holding her in his arms; human again, he couldn't help but feel all the happiness in the world. "Bella," he whispered lifting her up and they moved outside.

Pulling away, Edward set her down on the ground. "You're alive," she whispered, resting her hand against his chest. "Edward…" she trailed off. He was entirely different, his skin was warm and she could feel his heart beating under her hand. "How…" she trailed off again.

"Annabelle, she has the ability to turn vampires into humans," he replied.

"So…you're human again? This is permanent?" she asked.

Edward nodded, grinning a little. "This is permanent love," he answered. Biting her lower lip, Bella threw her arms around his neck. His smiling growing a little bigger, Edward wrapped his arms tightly around Bella's waist, swinging her around. Laughing, she held onto him before he set her back down on the ground.

Pulling away, Bella rested her hand on his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin against her hand. Resting his forehead against her head, he let out a sigh. "I never have to worry about hurting you again," he murmured. Feeling all the happiness in the world on her shoulders, Bella let out a sigh hugging him tight. Edward hugged her back, kissing the top of her head.

"What about everyone else?" she asked.

"Rosalie's going through the transformation now," he replied.

"She's doing it one at a time?" she asked.

"Yea, Emmett's comforting her now," he replied.

Bella sighed as they went back to the school.

After school that day, Bella was sitting in the living room with Edward. "I wanted to thank you Edward for trying to help Jacob find Bella," Charlie informed sitting down.

"I was just worried about her just as much as you guys," he answered.

He held onto Bella's hand with a small smile on his face when he saw that Bella was sleeping against his chest. "That is the first time in four days I saw her actually rest easily," Charlie commented.

"I'll take her upstairs," Edward informed.

Still able to lift Bella up into his arms easily, he carried his girlfriend up to her room.

Setting her down on her bed, he stroked her hair gently. Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead a couple of times before pulling the blankets over her. "I love you," he whispered gently. Bella smiled softly in her sleep.

"Edward…" she murmured in her sleep.

Smiling, he stroked her cheek before seeing the ring on her finger. Closing his eyes, he left the room closing the door behind him.

Charlie was still in his chair in the living room watching the first Mariners game of the season. "Chief Swan? May I speak with you for a moment?" Edward asked standing in the doorway of the living room.

"Sure," Charlie replied sitting up straighter in his chair.

Noticing that it was a commercial on the television, he sat down on the couch. "I would like to talk to you about Bella," he informed slowly. Even though human, he still had his ability of hearing people's thoughts; he had to fight back a chuckle when he heard Charlie's thoughts.

"What about Bella?" Charlie asked curiously.

"I know we are still young, but I care for your daughter, a lot. I'd do anything to keep her safe, even if it meant putting my life on the line. I'd give her the world if it would make her happy," Edward explained.

"Alright," Charlie answered slowly staring at him with a quizzical look.

Clearing his throat nervously, Edward rubbed his hands together. "Sir with your permission, I'd like to propose to Bella," he informed.

"Propose?" Charlie asked furrowing his brow.

"Yes sir, may I have your permission to ask Bella to marry me?" he asked.

Charlie was silent as he stared at him from across the living room. Edward couldn't even read his thoughts. "You two are awfully young to be thinking about this commitment Edward," he commented.

"I understand that sir," Edward answered.

"You know that Bella wants to go to college as well," Charlie commented.

"Yes sir as do I," Edward answered.

"And do what?" Charlie queried.

"I'd like to follow my father's road and become a doctor."

"What if Bella is accepted to a different college?"

"I go where she goes."

"What if there's not a medical school in where she's going?"

Edward stared at the man curiously when he read where Charlie was getting at. "Chief Swan, I wouldn't ask for Bella to give up anything for me," he informed. Clearing his throat again, he let out a deep breath. "I'd support her in whatever dreams she has even if it means we'd be separated for a time so she could achieve that dream," he explained. Nodding his head slowly, Charlie tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. "Also, if you give me permission to propose and I do ask her and she answers yes, I assure you that it won't happen until we've graduated high school," he added.

"You sound like you have everything planned out," Charlie commented.

"Yes, sir," Edward answered.

"I see you care for my daughter very much."

Edward nodded his head slowly in agreement. "Well, Edward, you have proven to me time and time again that you are a good man. It shows that your father has raised you right, not getting in any trouble, a good student. Also the fact that you disappeared for a week to find my daughter tells me how much you care," he explained.

"I'd give my life for her," Edward answered.

Chuckling lightly, Charlie got up from the chair, resting his hand on his shoulder. "Take care of my daughter Edward," he told him before going into the kitchen.

"Thank you sir, I will," Edward answered standing up.

Charlie grabbed a beer from the fridge. "Good luck," he commented sitting back in his chair. Edward nodded with a smile before leaving the house.


	29. Future Thoughts

Chapter 29: Future Thoughts

Two weeks later, Edward was sitting in his car outside of Bella's house thinking everything over. The last couple of weeks were ups and downs with the fact that he was human again. There were a few things that he was able to enjoy again, such as actual sleep instead of the long, lonely nights where he was waiting for the moon to fall and the day to begin. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he let out a deep breath.

He jumped when there was knocking on the window. Looking up he saw Bella standing outside the door. "You going to come in?" she asked.

"Yea sorry," he answered turning off his car.

Climbing out of the car he went inside, noticing that Charlie wasn't home. "He was called into the station just before you got here," she commented.

"So…it's just the two of us?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied as they sat down on the couch.

The television was on, but they weren't paying much attention to what was on. "Annabelle just turned my father," he murmured.

"Is he okay?" Bella asked concerned.

"Right now he's in the beginning stages, I have come to realize that feeling all the bodies systems trying to work again was more painful than when they all shut down," he replied.

"What about everyone else?" she queried.

Sighing, he moved his fingers over her wrist. "Rosalie…she jumped on the opportunity as soon as I was finished transforming back into a human," he replied. He continued to massage her wrist gently with his fingers. "Emmett…he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to be human again," he murmured.

"What made him change his mind?" she asked quietly.

Edward was silent for a few minutes. "The idea of living forever without Rosalie was unbearable for him," he replied.

"What about Alice and Jasper?" she asked.

Chuckling lightly, he held her closer to him. "Alice had her first vision about hers and Jasper's human lives that helped her decide to become human," he replied.

"What was the vision?" she asked curiously.

Still chuckling, he kissed the top of her head. "She envisioned a little girl wearing pink dresses," he replied. Bella was laughing a little at the idea.

"Oh no…a little girl huh? I bet Jasper's looking forward to that," she commented.

"Mm you can bet that Jasper will be a little stricter about the clothes she picks out for the little girl," he answered.

Bella was laughing at the thought of Jasper telling Alice what their future daughter could and couldn't wear. "Poor Jasper," she commented. He chuckled lightly, kissing her forehead.

"Yeah, poor Jasper," he agreed.

He moved his hand up and down her arm. "What do you think of that idea?" he asked curiously.

"What idea?" she asked.

"Children," he replied.

Sighing thoughtfully, she moved her fingers over his hand. "It's something I haven't thought about really," she admitted. Looking down at her, he furrowed a brow.

"Really?" he asked.

"Edward, you were a vampire, I was planning on spending eternity with you. Kids were unlikely to make it into those plans," she replied.

Smiling a little, Edward entwined his fingers with hers. "What about now?" he asked quietly. Sighing, she rested her head on his chest.

"I'm not sure…maybe, some day…" she replied.

He kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arm around her waist with a sigh. He was hoping for the day that he and Bella could live normal lives as husband and wife.

Night fell and Edward took Bella for a walk in the woods. "We could get lost out here," she commented as she held onto his hand.

"Bella, I might not be a vampire anymore, but I think I know my way around the woods yet," he replied chuckling.

He pulled her onto his back and carried her down the path. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see," he replied.

She wrapped her arms around his neck with a sigh. She did miss his speed a little bit, because they were able to get to where he wanted to go faster.

After what seemed like forever, Edward set her down and pushed the branch back revealing their meadow. "Our meadow," she whispered gently holding onto his hand.

"I have taken the path to the meadow at human speeds a few times before this," he commented with a smile.

Smiling happily, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze when she saw how beautifully the meadow was lit up from the moonlight. "This is just so incredible at nigh," she commented.

"Not as incredible as you," he replied.

Her face flushed slightly and she bit her lower lip as they sat down in the grass. "What do you have planned?" she queried.

"What makes you think I have anything planned?" he answered with another question.

"The fact that you brought me to our meadow late at night," she commented.

He shrugged a little as he lied on his back in the grass. "What if I just wanted to spend this beautiful evening with you?" he suggested.

"You're more in depth than that," she answered.

"Oh am I now?" he quipped pulling her on top of him.

Laughing, Bella straddled his sides. "Yes, you are," she answered.

"Maybe you think too much about my decisions?" he asked.

"Do I?" she asked.

Chuckling as he sat up, he stroked her face gently, resting his forehead to hers. "Maybe you're right love," he whispered. She smiled, moving her hand up and down his arm. Edward sighed as he moved so she was off his lap and cleared his throat.

"What is it?" she asked, a little worried.

Edward held her hand, moving his thumb over her knuckles. "Bella, I love you, more than anything in this world," he said quietly.

"I know," she answered.

Letting out a deep breath, the newly reformed human acted as if he got up, having Bella stand up. Then again instead of standing up, he moved onto one knee holding her hands in his. "Bella, I love you with all my heart and all my soul. I'll do anything to keep you safe and I'd do anything to make you happy," he whispered. Her eyes widened as he reached into his pocket and held up a beautiful ring. "Isabella Swan, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he asked quietly, nervously.

Bella stared at Edward and the ring in disbelief. She was completely speechless.


	30. Happiness

Chapter 30: Happiness

Bella smiled softly as she nodded her head slowly. "Of course I'll marry you," she replied. Edward smiled as he slipped the ring onto her finger and kissed her gently after standing up. Bella kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. He lifted her up off the ground, swinging her around.

Later on, they were at the Cullen house when Alice ran over with a shriek, hugging Bella. "Congratulations!" she said excitedly. Bella laughed as she hugged her back.

"Um thanks," she answered.

The petite reformed human pulled back with a grin. "Oh! You have to let me plan the wedding!" she insisted bouncing up and down.

"Alice…" Bella started.

"Oh please, please, please, I have been dying to plan a wedding for years," Alice answered.

Jasper chuckled lightly from the couch. "You better let her, or she's going to trail you around for weeks begging," he commented. Edward wrapped his arm around his fiancé's waist with a smile.

"Alright, but the wedding's not happening until after graduation," Bella answered.

"That's alright! That gives me plenty of time," Alice insisted grinning.

"Also…" Bella started.

"I know, I know, you have control of who's invited and not overly fancy," Alice said with a sigh waving her hand.

Bella leaned back against Edward's chest, biting her lower lip. She couldn't be any happier than how she was at that moment. Edward wrapped his arms gently around his fiancé, kissing her temple. "I love you," he whispered against the side of her head.

"I love you," she answered.

He kissed the top of her head, closing his eyes. He lifted her up gently, swinging her around. Bella started laughing again, holding onto his arms.

Two weeks later, it was now the last day of school and Bella was anxious to be spending her summer with Edward.

Walking out of the school together, Bella let out a shriek when Edward grabbed her, pulling her onto his back. "Edward!" she laughed wrapping her arms around his back.

"I don't want you hurting yourself on the last day of school," he chuckled.

"My hero," she quipped.

She rested her forehead against the side of his head with a small laugh. Edward held onto her legs and practically ran down the stairs with her. "Hey Eddie let's go," Emmett called jumping into his jeep.

"I don't think I have ever been as relieved about school ending before," he commented.

Bella smiled as she rested her forehead against his shoulder. "Well maybe because you can actually come to Jacksonville with me?" she suggested.

"Hmm never been to Florida before," he answered.

"You'll love it," she told him.

"As long as you're there I'll be happier," he answered.

He kissed the back of her hand with a small smile. Bella wrapped her arms a little tighter around his shoulders, resting the side of her head against his.

Bella was in her room packing up when Charlie knocked on the door. "Here kiddo," Charlie told her smiling, placing the plane tickets next to her.

"Thanks," she answered, pushing a strand of hair from her eyes.

"So you and Edward traveling together huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're staying at mom's house, we have to tell her we're engaged yet," she replied nervously.

Bella twisted her engagement ring on her finger, letting out a deep breath. She was nervous about telling her mother that she was engaged to be married after she graduated high school. Hearing a horn honk outside the house, Bella walked over to the window to see Edward standing by his Volvo waiting. "And that would be Edward," she murmured.

"Do you have everything?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I have everything," she replied.

Charlie stuck his hands in the back pockets of his jeans, nodding his head slowly. "Call me when you get to Jacksonville alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," she replied.

Smiling, the young woman reached up hugging him gently. Charlie froze for a second before he wrapped his arms around her gently. "Have a safe flight kiddo," he said quietly.

"I will," she answered.

Charlie kissed the top of her head with a small smile before letting her go. Bella grabbed her duffel and went downstairs.

Edward was waiting by his car, smiling as his fiancé walked out of the house. "_Fiancé_," he thought, making him smile a little. This was something he had been wanting for years and now that he finally had a second chance to be spending a normal life with Bella.

"Hey," she greeted smiling.

"Hey, are you ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

He kissed her briefly, resting his hand in the middle of her back. "I'll take good care of her Chief Swan," he called.

"I believe you," Charlie answered.

Edward took Bella's bag, putting it in the trunk of his car before opening the door for Bella. "Thank you," she told him smiling.

"You are welcome," he answered.

Climbing into his side of the car, Edward kissed the back of her hand with a small smile. Bella gave his hand a gentle squeeze as he drove off towards the airport.

****

Author's note: Hey guys sorry this chapter was so short, I've had some writers' block plus a headache. The next chapter will be up tomorrow as planned thank you guys for your support on this story.


	31. Solid Hearts

Chapter 31: Solid Hearts

They arrived in Jacksonville kind of late at night so both Edward and Bella had decided to go to bed once they reached Renee and Phil's apartment.

During the night, Edward woke up to the sound of whimpering from Bella's room. Getting up from bed, he carefully walked down the hall and opened the door to Bella's room. "Don't leave me…" she whimpered in her sleep. She had a tear fall down her face. "Come back," she sobbed quietly.

"Bella," he whispered stroking her face.

He wiped the tear from her cheek. "Isabella," he whispered. Letting out a gasp, she jumped from her sleep grabbing Edward's hand. "Shh, shh," he murmured stroking her hair.

"You were gone," she told him.

"I'm right here love," he answered.

He brushed his lips over her knuckles. "I'm not leaving again," he told her gently.

"Don't go, lay in bed with me like you used to," she answered.

"Bella…" he started.

"Please, you used to sit in my bed with me all the time before you were turned back human," she answered.

Edward sighed before sitting next to her on the bed. Biting her lower lip, Bella moved closer, resting her head on his chest. "Is that better?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

He stroked her arm gently, kissing her forehead gently. "Rest love," he whispered. Bella sighed as sleep started taking over her.

The next day, Bella was sitting out by the pool with her mom. "Well I am so happy that you are here," Renee told her daughter smiling.

"Edward and I are happy to be here too," Bella answered.

Renee smiled patting the arm of her daughter's chair before leaning back against her chair to catch some rays. "Mom, there's something I have to tell you," she informed slowly.

"What's that baby?" Renee asked sitting up.

Clearing her throat, Bella let out a deep breath as she reached into her bag that sat by her chair and pulled out her engagement ring, slipping it back onto her finger. "Mom…Edward and…" she started when Renee's phone went off.

"Hold that thought one second," Renee answered.

She picked up her cell phone flipping it open. Bella bit her lower lip nervously, looking at the engagement ring on her left hand. She had to try to figure out of how to tell her mother that she and Edward were engaged. "Okay I'm sorry sweetie that was Phil, he wanted to let us know that we have reservations tonight," she informed.

"That's okay," Bella answered.

"So, what did you want to tell me?" Renee asked curiously.

Staring at her ring for another second, Bella shook her head slowly, covering it with her other hand. "Nothing, I'll tell you and Phil tonight at the restaurant," she replied.

"Okay, so where is that boyfriend of yours?" Renee asked.

"He's walking down by the beach. He's been taking his time looking at scenery a lot more lately," Bella replied.

"Did something happen?" Renee asked concerned.

Bella looked out at the beach; she was able to see her fiancé standing in the water relaxing in the sunlight. "You can say that," she replied quietly.

"Well he's a nice boy," Renee commented.

"Yeah he is, dad likes him," Bella answered.

"Hmm surprised he didn't lock you away for that. Surprised he let you come out here to Jacksonville."

"Mom dad's not that bad."

Renee tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair. "Your father never changes. Careful Bella, Edward might not want to leave Forks either and keep you trapped there," she told her daughter.

"Edward and I aren't going to stay in Forks forever," Bella answered.

Renee took a sip of her tea. "That's what I thought when I married your dad. Then one thought of leaving Forks and your dad would just drop the subject before it would even start," she commented.

"What if sometime down the road Edward and I do decide to go back to Forks? I kind of like Forks," Bella answered.

"Baby when you were twelve you threw a fit when your dad wanted to spend your summer in Forks," Renee pointed out.

"Mom that was five almost six years ago. Forks was growing on me."

Renee shook her head slowly. "You don't want to be trapped in Forks for the rest of your life," she commented. Bella bit her lower lip when she heard the gate to the pool open and close. Looking over, she saw Edward walk over.

"Hey," he greeted smiling.

"Edward hi," she answered smiling.

Edward leaned forward, kissing her gently. Bella kissed him back, resting her hand on the side of his neck. "Hello Edward," Renee greeted.

"Hello Mrs. Dwyer," Edward answered sitting next to Bella on the chair.

"How was your walk?" Renee asked.

"It was pleasant," he replied.

Bella leaned against Edward's shoulder with a smile, entwining he fingers with a sigh. She was now dreading dinner that night.

When evening arrived, Edward was standing in the living room, wearing black shoes, khakis pants with a light-blue button down shirt. "Bella, are you ready love?" he asked.

"Just one minute," she replied.

Fixing the collar of his shirt, Edward looked up when Bella walked out of the room. "Don't laugh," she told him. Looking up, Edward's heart missed a beat and his mouth dropped. She was wearing pale blue ballet flats a light blue dress that had an empire waist and spaghetti straps. She had fixed the curls in her hair and pulled her hair back in a half-ponytail. She was fidgeting with her hands, clearing her throat.

"You look…" he started.

"Weird," she suggested.

"Absolutely stunning," he finished.

Walking over, Edward held her hand with a smile. "I'm a lucky man," he commented.

"Its me who's lucky," she answered.

Chuckling lightly, he rested his hand in the middle of her back, pulling her a little closer. He rested his forehead against hers with a small smile on his face. "Ready?" he asked.

"No," she replied.

"It'll be alright," he assured her.

"You don't know my mom," she answered as he held onto her hand leading her toward the door to go downstairs to meet with Renee and Phil.

When arriving at the restaurant, Edward held the chair out for Bella. "What a gentleman," she quipped lightly. Edward chuckled softly as he pushed her chair in before taking his seat.

"So how long have you two been going out?" Phil asked.

"Five months," Bella replied.

Edward gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "So Edward what do you plan on doing after high school?" Renee asked curiously.

"I have applied at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth for their medical programs," he replied.

"A doctor huh?" Renee asked.

"Yes ma'am that's the plan," he replied.

Renee took a sip of her wine. "And what made you decide to become a doctor?" she asked.

"My father's a doctor and well his work has inspired me to become a doctor as well," he replied.

"What kind of work does your father do?" Renee asked.

"He's a surgeon at the hospital in Forks, he's the best in his practice," Edward replied truthfully.

Renee nodded her head slowly as she took a sip of her wine. "So Bella what about you?" Phil asked. Bella cleared her throat, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

"I'm applying at some of the same colleges for the writing programs, I might not get in though," Bella answered.

"You're brilliant Bella you'll get in," Edward answered.

Blushing she took a roll from the bread basket. "Mom, I've been wanting to tell you something," she said slowly.

"What is that baby?" Renee asked.

Biting her lower lip, she let out a deep breath. "Mom…" she started. Edward gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"," she replied extremely fast.

Edward had to choke back a chuckle. "Excuse me?" Renee asked. Bella closed her eyes tight, letting out a deep breath.

"Mom, Edward asked me to marry him," she replied quietly.

Renee stared at them in disbelief. "Please tell me you said you're too young to get married," she insisted as if Edward wasn't sitting there. Bella bit her lower lip.

"I told him I would," she answered.

"No, no, no," Renee said angrily.

She stared at her daughter. "You are seventeen-years-old! You have no business getting married!" she exclaimed.

"Mom…we weren't saying we were getting married next week or something. We're waiting until after high school," Bella answered.

"You are still too young then," Renee insisted.

Renee shook her head slowly. "I knew it was a bad idea from the start to let you move to Forks to stay with your father. Of course he'd approve of this," she muttered.

"Mom please stop putting dad down, he's been a wonderful parent," Bella answered.

"Obviously not since he is supporting you decision of getting married," Renee told her.

Bella sat in silence staring at her untouched salad. Edward held onto her hand, kissing her knuckles. "You are ruining my daughter's life!" she snapped.

"That's not true," Bella insisted.

Bella got up from her chair. "We're leaving," she told her mother. Edward got up from his chair and followed Bella out the door.

Once they were outside, Bella let out a shaky breath. "That went well," she muttered.

"Come here," he whispered.

He pulled her into his arms, hugging her gently. "I want to go home," she told him.

"Okay I'll get us a cab…" he started.

"No, not what I meant," she answered.

Bella pulled back holding his hands. "I want to go back to Forks," she said quietly. Edward kissed the back of her hands lightly.

"Okay, we'll go back to Forks," he said quietly.

She gave his hand a squeeze as he hailed a cab and he drove them back to the house.

Sitting in the cab, Bella gripped Edward's hand. "I love you," she told him. He kissed the side of her head.

"I love you," he answered stroking her hair.


	32. Our Moments

Chapter 32: Our Moments

After arriving back in Forks, everything had gone back to normal…sort of. Renee called Charlie the first night Bella arrived home chastising him for giving Edward permission to propose to Bella. Every phone call ended with Charlie hanging up without a word.

On the fourth night back, Edward and Bella were sitting in the living room watching a movie when the phone started ringing again. "If that's your mother again I'm going to unplug the phone," Charlie commented getting up. Bella chewed on her bottom lip, letting out a shaky sigh. Edward kissed the side of her head, rubbing her arm.

"Everything's going to be okay," he told her quietly.

"It doesn't feel like it Edward," she answered.

He hugged her close moving back against the arm of the couch. She sighed as she sat between his legs, leaning back against his chest. "Charlie! She is still a child what is she doing getting married?!" she heard Renee shout through the phone.

"Renee, she's going to be eighteen in three months. Even if I objected to it, which I don't, she'd run off and get married and we'd never see her again," Charlie answered.

Edward moved his hand up and down Bella's arm. "Also Renee, Bella is more mature than both of us were when we got married! Hell she takes care of us than we take care of her. She's a smart kid, she knows what she's doing," he told his ex-wife.

"Your dad's a smart man," he commented.

Bella smiled, resting her head on his chest. "Stop calling here Renee, I have Bella now and this time you're not taking her away from me. I should've fought for her seventeen years ago. I'm not making that mistake again, stop calling Renee and let me take care of Bella," Charlie snapped before hanging up.

Charlie walked back into the living room, sitting down. There was an awkward silence in the living room before Bella spoke up. "Dad, I think the Mariners are playing tonight," she commented.

"Bella you hate baseball," Charlie answered chuckling.

"You can turn it on," she told him holding onto Edward's hand.

"Alright," Charlie murmured.

He grabbed the remote and turned on the baseball game.

The next day, Bella was standing Alice's room. "Okay open your eyes!" Alice said excitedly. Bella opened her eyes to see Alice standing there with a wedding dress.

"Alice…" she started in disbelief.

"I knew you'd love it,' the petite woman commented bouncing up and down excitedly.

Biting her lower lip, Bella walked over to Alice looking at the dress. "This is…wow," she murmured.

"You'll look absolutely stunning in the dress," Alice answered.

"But it's so…fancy," Bella commented.

Alice clasped her hands in front of her. "You didn't have to do this really," Bella insisted.

"Of course I did! You only get married once," Alice answered giddily.

She clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh! We can have a beautiful outdoor wedding right here in the backyard. Oh it'd look so magnificent with all the beautiful flowers decorating the chairs. An archway with flowers, it'd be so pretty!" she shrieked bouncing even more. Bella started laughing, shaking her head slowly.

"Alice darlin calm down before you hurt yourself," Jasper chuckled walking into the room.

He wrapped his arms around his wife with a smile. "Was she excited during your wedding?" Bella asked laughing.

"Our wedding was a really, really small one. It was just the two of us, Carlisle, and Edward," Alice replied.

"So…you two never thought of remarrying like Emmett and Rosalie do?" she queried.

Alice gave her a quizzical look. "Why?" she asked.

"I don't know because you always plan these big weddings," Bella replied.

"Mm because I like planning everyone else's weddings. I even planned Carlisle and Esme's wedding," she commented.

"That was a beautiful wedding," Jasper put in.

"And Rosalie and Emmett's," Alice finished.

"Which one?" her husband chuckled.

"Wedding number one," Alice replied.

Bella pushed her hair from her eyes. "Do you think Emmett and Rosalie will be planning another wedding?" she asked curiously.

"Maybe, because it can be really official this time instead of changing cities and doing it all over again," Alice replied.

"Who knows with them. Even for Alice they're unpredictable," Jasper chuckled.

Laughing a little, Bella sat down in her chair. "Wait…so…how did you two meet?" she asked curiously. Alice smiled as Jasper tightened his hold on her.

"I was still trying to get used to hunting animals at the time. We had moved to Philadelphia and we met in a half-empty diner there that night," he replied.

Jasper smiled as he kissed the side of Alice's head. "Well I had envisioned him there and I sat at the same diner every night for a long time waiting for him," she put in.

"When I walked in she walked up to me and said 'You have kept me waiting for a long time'," he commented.

"And you became shy and said 'I'm sorry ma'am' with that southern drawl."

Bella smiled when she saw the look on their faces as they talked about the moment they had met. "It just clicked at that moment," Alice finished resting her head on Jasper's chest.

"It did become very awkward for awhile since Alice was the only girl in the coven for a few years," Jasper commented.

"Jazzy, that's not what bothered your father and brother," she said quietly.

Jasper's face was tinted red a little. "Ah yes, I think we had to buy a bigger house because of that," he commented.

"Jazz, that didn't help," she said quietly.

Bella's face was beginning to tin red at the now private conversation going on between them. "Okay this has become very, very awkward," she commented getting up.

"Well let's put it this way Bella, we weren't as bad as Rosalie and Emmett," Jasper commented.

"Carlisle, Jasper, and Edward built them a house not too far because they got that bad," Alice put in.

"Father and Esme weren't even that bad, even though as disturbing it is to feel their desire and lust for each other during certain times of the day," Jasper commented shuddering.

Both Bella and Alice started laughing. "No Emmett and Rosalie were really, really bad. Jasper couldn't stay in the house most of the time," Alice put in.

"Wait are Edward and I…" Bella started.

"No you guys aren't too bad. Even if you were I'm not around," Jasper answered.

Bella smiled a little, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled a little at the idea of marrying Edward after graduating next year. She let out a deep breath and looked at her engagement ring, things didn't seem as bad as she thought. In fact, she found herself getting a little excited about the wedding.

After leaving the room, Bella went downstairs to find Annabelle reading a book. "Hey," she called. Annabelle looked up with a smile.

"Hey," she answered smiling.

"How's it going?" Bella asked sitting next to her.

"Alright," Annabelle replied.

She pushed a strand of blonde hair from her eyes with a smile. "So…" Bella started.

"I'm fully human Bella before you ask," Annabelle said with a small laugh.

"How did that happen?" Bella asked.

"It was pretty simple. Dad found a weak spot in my skin and I had some of my own venom injected into my system," she replied.

"You mean you weren't immune to it?" Bella asked.

"No that's the weird part," she replied.

Annabelle pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "It'll be nice to live a normal life with Jacob," she murmured. Bella smiled, patting Annabelle's arm.

"I'm happy for you guys," she commented.

"Thanks," Annabelle answered.

Bella brushed a pesky hair from her eyes. "By the way, I am happy for you and Edward, you guys deserve each other," Annabelle added.

"Thanks," Bella answered smiling.

The two girls looked over at the music room to hear piano music playing. "Its nice to hear him play his piano all the time," Annabelle commented. Smiling, Bella got up from the couch and went into the music room.

Walking up behind Edward, she wrapped her arms gently around his torso. "Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey love," he answered.

He moved his head aside, kissing her cheek gently. Bella rested her forehead against his temple with a smile on her face. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you," he answered.

Bella sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder as he started playing her lullaby again. It was the most angelic sound in the world and it made her fall in love with him all over again.


	33. EpilogueOne Year Later

Epilogue: One Year Later

Bella sighed as Alice fixed her makeup. "You look great," Alice said excitedly.

"You didn't put too much on did you?" Bella asked.

"No, no, just enough to enhance your already pretty face," Alice replied.

Letting out a sigh, Bella twisted her engagement ring on her finger. "Alice could you help me?" Rosalie asked. Alice stood up and walked behind Rosalie.

"The train just made it up the track Rose," Alice commented gently patting Rosalie's pregnant stomach.

Smiling, Rosalie rubbed her stomach. "I am very proud of this stomach," she answered.

"Rosalie you sure you can stand up at the wedding?" Bella asked standing up.

"Sure she will, little…" Alice started.

Rosalie covered her mouth. "She's been trying to hint to me what the baby's going be for the last two weeks," she commented.

"Mmmm mm mmmm," Alice could muffle from behind Rosalie's hand.

"I have been waiting for this for seventy-three years, don't ruin it," Rosalie told the petite girl before letting her go.

Alice rolled her eyes. "I was just going say the little guy OR girl won't be making his OR hers appearance for another week," she answered. Bella was laughing at the two of them.

"You know how to get rid of the wedding jitters," she commented.

Alice skipped over and fixed Bella's dress while announcing, "You are ready!" Bella laughed, shaking her head slowly. "Do you want to look in a mirror?" she asked.

"No, no, I'm okay," Bella replied.

There was a knock on the door, prompting the girls to look up. "Who is it?" Alice asked.

"It's just the father of the bride," Charlie answered chuckling.

Smiling Rosalie opened the door, letting Bella's father in. Charlie stood there in disbelief when he looked at his daughter. "Bella…you look stunning," he murmured. He rested his hand on his daughter's cheek with a smile.

"Thanks," she answered, letting out a deep breath.

Alice walked over to Bella, handing her a bouquet of white and blue roses. "You're ready," she announced excitedly.

"We have ten minutes Alice," Bella answered smiling a little.

"No reason to be late for your wedding," Alice insisted grinning.

She grabbed her smaller bouquet of flowers. "Annabelle's already downstairs waiting," she insisted grabbing onto Rosalie's arm.

"Hey I am nine months pregnant due any moment, don't grab on me," Rosalie warned her.

Charlie chuckled as the two girls left the room. "Nervous?" he asked his daughter.

"A little," she replied.

He brushed a stray hair from her eyes. "Hard to believe you're all grown up now," he commented. Biting her lower lip, she let out a deep breath. "You look beautiful Bells," he told her.

"Thanks," she answered.

Charlie offered Bella his arm and escorted her out of the room. "Ready to give me away?" she asked. Her father was silent for a little while before letting out a deep breath.

"No I'm not," he answered.

He kissed the top of her head. "But I'm happy if you're happy," he told her.

"I am dad," she answered.

They looked at the stairs they had to walk down. "Don't let me fall," she said quietly.

"I won't kiddo," he answered.

Edward stood under the arch, letting out a deep breath as he waited for his bride. Jasper chuckled lightly as he tried to get his brother to calm down a little. This was one of the rare moments where he was actually grateful Jasper had his powers of empathy.

After a few more moments of waiting, Alice walked down the aisle first followed by Annabelle and Rosalie. When Charlie escorted Bella down the aisle, all the air left Edward's lungs. She was so incredibly stunning she looked like she had walked right out of a fairytale. He let out a deep breath when Bella stood in front of the altar. "Who gives this woman to this man?" the minister asked.

"I do, Charles Thomas Swan," Charlie replied.

Charlie smiled at his daughter, kissing her cheek before taking her hand, placing it into Edward's waiting hand. Before they could stand in front of the minister, Charlie held onto their wrists. He smiled at both Bella and Edward, placing his hands over theirs. "Take care of each other and love each other until love is no longer in existent," he told them quietly. He patted Edward's back. "Take care of my little girl Edward," he added quietly.

"Promise," Edward answered smiling a little.

Bella gave his hand a gentle squeeze as they stood in front of the minister. The ceremony began and everyone was silent listening to the words. Bella was holding onto Edward's hands with a gentle smile on her face. Edward smiled back, moving his thumbs over the tops of her hands.

Letting out a shaky breath, Bella cleared her throat nervously. "The bride and groom have decided to write down their own vows," the minister informed. He looked over at Bella. "Isabella, you can say your vows," he informed. Smiling a little, Bella looked up into Edward's emerald green eyes with a smile.

"Edward…so many things to say…but it's hard to actually put it into words of how much you mean to me. You are my protector, my rock. You have been there for me from the moment we met, I have felt such a strong connection to you since that day in the biology lab and I just want to join you on this adventure. Wherever you go I go with you, I've loved you from the moment we met and I'll love you forever. You dazzle me and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you," she explained smiling.

Edward smiled, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. "Edward your vows?" the minister asked. Letting out a sigh, he entwined his fingers with hers.

"For a long time, I have felt nothing but loneliness. I thought I'd be living in this darkness for the rest of my life, for all of eternity. My heart aches when I'm not with you, I feel nothing but pain when you're away from me. When we're together…I just want to hold you close to me and never let you go. You…fascinate me, everything you do fascinates me. I too can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you and I'll love you forever," he explained smiling lightly.

Bella smiled softly when the sun actually broke through the dark clouds that usually hovered over Forks. They glanced up at the sky with smiles on their faces before looking at each other. "The rings please?" the minister asked. Jasper reached into his pocket and handed the minister the rings. After blessing the rings, Edward took one ring holding Bella's hand up.

"With this ring, I thee wed. I promise my heart, soul, my present, and my future to you," he vowed.

Bella smiled softly as she took the other ring and held Edward's hand. "With this ring, I thee wed. I promise my heart, soul, present, and my future to you," she vowed in return. The minister smiled as he finished the rest of the ceremony.

"By the powers vested in me in the state of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife, Edward you may kiss your bride," the minister informed.

Not having to be told twice, Edward chuckled lightly as he rested his hand on the side of Bella's neck, kissing her gently but deeply. Bella kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Ladies and gentlemen I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Edward Anthony Cullen," the minister announced. The guests clapped for the newlyweds as they walked back down the aisle with huge smiles on their faces.

The reception was held in another part of the yard. Edward smiled as he held onto Bella's hand, pulling her onto the dance floor. "Edward I still can't dance," she said laughing a little. Chuckling he moved her onto his feet as they started dancing to _Claire de Lune_.

"I have waited for years to dance with you to this song," he said quietly.

Bella smiled, wrapping her arm around his neck as they swayed to the song together. "I love you," he whispered gently into her hair.

"I love you," she replied, closing her eyes.

She rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes. Edward smiled as he moved his hand over her back. "Ready for this future?" he asked.

"I'm ready when you are," she replied.

She kissed his shoulder with a smile. "Very ready," she replied. Edward moved her back against his arm, smiling softly at her. Bella smiled before he leaned forward kissing her tenderly. Bella kissed him back, her hand resting on his cheek. She couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with him.

Edward smiled, resting his forehead against the side of her head. He had been waiting for this for over a hundred years and there was no way he was going to take his new life as a human for granted. As long as Bella was with him, life was worth living.

****

(Preview to Next Story)

__

Carlisle jolted awake to the sound of crying in the next room. Getting up from the bed, he glanced at his wife. "I should…" she started.

"Rest, I'll get him," he reassured her.

Pulling on his robe, he left the bedroom and went into the room across from their room to the nursery. Smiling softly, he walked over to the cradle lifting his son into his arms. "Everything's going to be alright," he said quietly. He looked up when the door opened and the maid walked in. "I have him Trudy," he assured her.

"Yes Mr. Cullen sir," she answered.

She handed him the bottle before leaving. Carlisle smiled softly before sitting down and stroking his son's face. "I hope I'm a good enough father for you son," he said quietly. He let out a sigh as he rocked back and forth in the rocking chair as he glanced down at his wedding ring. "And a good husband for your mother," he added quietly.

Title: In this Life

Rating: T maybe M

Genre: Angst, Drama

Pairings: Canon eventually

**Story is due: March 5th, 2010**


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